When You Tell Me That You Love Me
by kyalpn
Summary: Theresa is left unconsious after a fight with Jared over their ruined wedding and Ethan can't let go.  NOTE: gliches and problems from first posting fixed.
1. Chapter 1

This is my first fan fic. As we all know, the characters and original story are not mine. They are the property of Passions, James Riley, and Direct TV. The story stars at the wedding of Theresa and Jared. The guests have arrived, the music is about to start…

When You Tell Me That You Love Me

"Are you ready, Mija?"

"Oh Theresa! You look beautiful!"

"Do you really think so?" Theresa asked Whitney, Paloma, and Pilar nervously.

Whitney chuckled. "Do you? Jared's going to fall over dead when he sees you!"

"I agree.", Pilar said with tears in her eyes, reaching to give Theresa a hug.

"There's no way anyone is upstaging the bride today" laughed Paloma, joining in the hug between her mom and sister.

"Stop! You're going to make me cry before we even get started!" Theresa laughed. Just then, a knock sounded at the door. "Come in" Theresa called. The door opened, and Luis and Miguel walked in with Little Ethan and Jane in tow.

"Wow. You look great, Mom" Little Ethan exclaimed while Miguel nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, you look pretty good Lil Sis" said Luis, obviously choked up. "Now I know what's been taking so long!", he joked. "But we better get a move on. There's a church full of people downstairs waiting for you."

"I guess it's time then." Theresa said. "Let's get this show on the road."

As everyone turned to leave, Whitney hung back to give Theresa one last hug. "You and Jared are going to be so happy!" she squealed, then ran from the room.

"Meet you down stairs to walk you down the aisle Lil Sis." Luis added, then he left the room as well, leaving Theresa alone.

Theresa turned to look at herself one more time in the full-length mirror and took a deep breath. She still couldn't believe that she was standing there in her fantasy wedding dress. It was perfect, just like a princess in a fairy tale. Shaking back her hair and veil, she grabbed her bouquet of white orchids and heard the music swell in the sanctuary. Little Ethan would be walking his grandmother down the aisle now with Jane in her arms. Theresa thought of the church full of lush flowers, friends and family...a wonderful man waiting for her at the alter. It was everything she ever wanted, ever dreamed of as a little girl.

_Then how come I'm not bursting with love and happiness? How come I'm not excited? Why do I feel like I'm going to my own funeral instead of my wedding? How come all I can think of is my first wedding. My wedding with Ethan that was ruined? How did I get here anyway?_

Suddenly the music changed, bringing Theresa out of her reverie. _I better hurry. That's Whitney's cue,_ and she hurried from the room. She walked into the vestibule just as the music changed again, and took Luis' arm.

"Here we go." he whispered. And they started down the aisle as the congregation stood for her entrance.

As Luis and Theresa walked into the sanctuary, there was a slight gasp from the crowd. All around were smiles and whispered murmurs of appreciation over how they looked together, but Theresa didn't notice. All she could see was Jared. Whitney hadn't been far wrong with her prediction of his reaction, and Theresa smiled. Jared really was very sweet. He loved her with all his heart, and her children to distraction. Then from out of nowhere, Ethan's face swam before her, his wife Gwen at his side, and the smile faltered on Theresa's face.

He was doing his best not to show it, but the hurt in his eyes was unmistakable. It cut Theresa like a knife to her heart to see that, but what had he expected her to do? Once he had married Gwen, he held his vows more important than anything else and refused to leave her, even though everyone knew he still loved Theresa. Even Theresa telling him for years that Gwen had tricked him into marriage hadn't convinced him to leave her. He was starting to falter a bit, but he had remained steadfast to his belief that Gwen wasn't capable of anything deceitful, and always walked right back to her arms. He'd left her no choice but to move on with her life. And that meant marrying Jared.

Still it cut her to the core to see him hurting. As she walked past, she mouthed "I'm sorry." Ethan swallowed hard, his eyes pleading with her not to go through with this. Beside him, Gwen looked sour. She really was a witch. It was a small miracle that she even allowed Jane to be in the wedding party.

_Stop it!_ Theresa berated herself. _This is supposed the happiest day of your life. Focus!_ Searching the crowd, her eyes found Jared's again, and she calmly met him at the altar.

"Please be seated." Father Lannigan said. "Marriage is an honorable estate..."

As Father Lannigan began the ceremony, Theresa forgot to pay attention. All she could think about was Ethan, and how she felt when she was standing there with him all those year ago. She shook her head slightly trying to clear it, and caught a glimpse of Whitney who was smiling encouragingly. If anyone knew what she was feeling, it was Whitney. They'd talked about it enough over the years. If Whitney was smiling, everything would be fine right?

"I have." Theresa suddenly heard Jared say, and brought her mind back to the ceremony. "

"And have you, Theresa, given yourself freely to be married to this man?" Father Lannigan asked.

"I...ahem...I have". she said.

" Then let us begin." he said. "Jared and Theresa, please join your right hands."

Jared and Theresa turned to each other, and Theresa took a startled breath as Jared's face morphed into Ethan's. She blinked, but still Ethan was all she could see. Her mind filled with the memories they'd shared, the life they'd almost had...the love that wouldn't go away. Her breathing increased and she started to panic. _What am I doing_, she asked herself over and over. _What am I doing?_

"...speak now or forever hold your peace."

Theresa jerked out of her daydream in time to hear Father Lannigan utter those words. She looked at Jared, but could still only see Ethan. She peeked over her shoulder at the congregation and her eyes found Ethan's. His heart was breaking. It was taking everything he had to stay in his seat, she could tell. Theresa looked back at Jared, relieved to see her vision had cleared, but unsettled again to see him smiling like everything was right with the world. The room started to whirl around her. Her heart was racing, and she couldn't breath. _What am I doing_, her brain screamed at her. _I can't go through with this! I can't! I can't! I can't..._

"I'm sorry Theresa. What did you say?" It was obvious that Father Lannigan was surprised, and it was only then that Theresa realized she had spoken out loud.

"Tess...?" Theresa looked up at Jared. His face was ashen, and fearful. "What did you say?" Swallowing hard, Theresa cleared her throat. Her mind suddenly cleared, and her heartbeat returned to normal. She knew what she had to do.

"I'm sorry Jared, Father Lannigan, everyone. I can't do this. I just can't." Theresa said. And picking up her train, she ran from the sanctuary, leaving a stunned congregation in her wake.


	2. Chapter 2

The story continues...Theresa has stopped the wedding and is running away from the altar. What is going to happen now?

Chapter 2

"I can't."

As Theresa uttered those words, Ethan's eyes closed with relief. She hadn't done it! He looked at Jared, mockingly. _I knew she'd never marry you_, he thought.

The congregation was no longer quiet. Everyone else was shocked and murmuring worriedly, but Ethan couldn't hide his smile. Gwen elbowed him in his side. "Ethan, wipe that smile off your face! This isn't funny."

Ethan couldn't hold a small chuckle and said, "Oh, but it is Gwen! I knew Theresa didn't really love him. And it's a good thing because I know this guy is bad news. He's all wrong for her."

Gwen's eyes blazed with anger, then narrowed slightly. "Why do you care?" she hissed. " You already have a wife...me! Or have you forgotten that?"

"Of course I--Theresa." Theresa rushed back up the aisle without a glance in his direction, and Ethan turned to follow her. Gwen pulled his arm to stop him.

"What are you doing?" she snapped. You are not going to run after her!"

"Gwen, she's hurting. Didn't you see her crying? She needs me." he snapped back.

"Tess! Wait!" Jared ran after his bride, Luis and the rest of the Lopez-Fitzgeralds, as well as Chad and Whitney close on his heels.

"Now see there. She has her friends and family to help her. Besides, this is for her and Jared to work out on their own. You need to stay out of it." Gwen said.

Ethan looked at her for a long minute. "I can't." he said. Then quickly followed, Gwen glowering at his retreating back.

"Theresa wait!"

Theresa heard Whitney calling to her, but she didn't stop running. _I have to get out of here, I have to get out of here._ Her head was swirling. Just then the side doors to the church appeared, and she ran through them without stopping to think.

Through the doors was the church cemetery, and Theresa had to chuckle ironically to herself. _I felt like I was going to my own funeral. I suppose that this is the proper place for it to end._

"Theresa, are you OK Sweetie?" Whitney caught up to her just then, and the friends turned to share a hug.

Theresa sniffled. "No. But I will be. Wait a minute. Where's Jared? I would've expected him to be out here already."

"Well, I convinced everyone including Jared to let me talk to you for a few minutes first. He wasn't happy, but Chad held him back for me." Whitney said. "Now are you going to tell me what happened in there?"

Theresa sighed, and pulled away from their hug. "I just couldn't do it Whitney. I started panicking, I couldn't breath. All these memories of Ethan and the life we wanted to have were swirling around in my head. And the look on his face as I walked down the aisle...

"Whitney, I was standing there thinking I should be the happiest girl in Harmony right then. I was marrying a wonderful man that loved me. Not my money, not my position as the widow of the late Alistair Crane; he loved me. And my children. But all I could think of was Ethan and how much I loved him, and I just couldn't go through with it."

Whitney sighed and tried to be patient. "Theresa, do you realize how silly that was? Ethan is married, and has made it clear that he's not going to leave Gwen. Remember what you told me when Jared proposed? It was right after Ethan gave Gwen her ring back after that fight they had...remember? You told me it proved that Ethan would never leave Gwen for you even if the perfect opportunity presented itself... Do you remember any of this?"

"Yes, Whitney! Yes, I remember. Don't you think I know how foolish this is? But I couldn't help it. It just didn't feel right, and I couldn't do it. I just couldn't do it." Theresa covered her face with her hands and started to cry, and Whitney hugged her again.

Inside the church, Jared was pacing like a caged animal, anger and hurt making him more and more agitated. "What is taking Whitney so long?", he snapped to no one in particular. "This is my wedding, Theresa left me standing at the altar, and I should be the one out there talking to her!"

"Hey, calm down man. Just calm down." Chad said. "Whitney is just going to make sure Theresa is calm and then she'll let you talk to her, OK? Just be patient."

"Be patient?" Jared exploded. "_Be patient_? In case you've forgotten, this is my wedding day. My bride left me at the altar in front of the whole town! This is going to be in the papers by tonight. And you want me to calm down?"

Just then, Ethan trotted into the vestibule. "Where's Theresa?" he demanded.

"Uh, Ethan? This probably isn't the best time for you--" Luis was cut off by a livid Jared, who had just seen Ethan.

"This is all your fault!" Jared yelled, lunging at Ethan. "You just wouldn't stay out of this!"

"Break it up!"

"Stop it!"

Luis and Chad pulled Ethan and Jared away from each other, but both men still struggled against them.

"I didn't have to do anything Jared! I told you Theresa didn't love you!" Ethan snapped.

"Tess does love me!" Jared snapped back. "And the only reason this happened is because you filled her head with lies about me. I'm going to kill you!" he yelled, still fighting to get out of Chad's grip.

"Name the place and I'll be there, pal." Ethan spat back angrily.

"Stop it! Just stop it! Both of you!", Pilar stepped in, also angry. "This is a church! Behave yourselves! And let my daughter decide what she needs to do on her own! Do you hear me?"

Ethan and Jared looked at each other, rage filling their eyes, but they both nodded. "We'll behave."

"Oh. Here comes Whitney!" Paloma exclaimed as Whitney walked up to the group.

Whitney looked around at the tense group, Ethan and Jared still barely holding their tempers in check, and shook her head. "What happened here...nope. You know what? Never mind. I don't even want to know. Jared? Theresa is ready to talk to you now."

"Finally!", he sighed and ran out the door.

Theresa wandered through the tombstones trying to collect her thoughts. How was she going to explain this to Jared? How was she going to explain humiliating him in front of all of Harmony...and the whole world? This was bound to make the papers by the next day. Theresa knew that no matter how much security she had in place, there were reporters every where. It had become a fact of her life once she became Mrs. Alistair Crane.

Theresa had an even worse thought. _How am I going to explain humiliating him in front of Ethan?_ If there was one thing Jared had made clear, it was that he wouldn't abide being second fiddle to Ethan. That he could handle anything but Ethan in the middle of their relationship. If this didn't fall in the category of "Ethan in the Middle", nothing did.

"Tess! Tess! Where are you?"

Theresa heard Jared call, and answered, "Over here." As Jared walked up to her she could tell that he was angry and doing his best to hide it. For some reason that made her more nervous.

"Tess? You want to tell me what the h happened in there?" Jared's voice was low and hurt, with just an edge of anger.

"I just couldn't do it Jared." Theresa said, looking up into his eyes.

Jared gave a small chuckle and said mirthlessly, "Yeah...I got that part. What I want to know is _why not_?"

As Theresa looked up at him with tear filled eyes, his calm demeanor started to crumble. "Never mind. I know why. It's Ethan isn't it? Isn't it?" His anger was becoming more and more evident. Theresa couldn't say anything. She dropped her eyes and the tears started to fall.

"Your silence is deafening, Theresa." At that, Theresa looked up at Jared, surprise on her face. He never called her that. Never from day one even when he knew she hated the fact that he called her Tess. His face was getting more and more angry by the minute, and Theresa hurried to try to explain.

"I'm sorry Jared! I just couldn't help it. Once I saw Ethan in the crowd, I couldn't think of anything else but our wedding day. I couldn't stop thinking about the life we had wanted to have."

Jared turned away in exasperation. "Theresa, give it up! Ethan is married to Gwen! He's never going to leave her! Can't you see that?"

Theresa grabbed his arm and tried to make him understand. "I know all that! Don't you think I tried to remind myself of that? Don't you think I tried to think about how silly it was for me not to marry you when Ethan would never be mine?"

"_Silly_?" Jared broke in incredulously, but Theresa continued.

"I thought about all of it. But I just couldn't do it. I love Ethan too much. I love him with all of my heart, and marrying you today wouldn't have been right. Even if Ethan never comes back to me, I can't promise you something I can't give."

Suddenly, Jared turned back to her, his face deadly calm. "You can't promise me something you can't give? So all this time, you've been lying to me? Using me?" his voice was getting angrier with each word he spoke, buy his eyes gave nothing away.

"No Jared! It wasn't like that..." Theresa started to explain, but Jared cut her off.

"All this time, I was giving you my heart, thinking you were giving me yours, and you were only doing it because you couldn't have Ethan, weren't you? When you said you loved me it was all a lie wasn't it?" Jared grabbed her close to him by her shoulders. "Admit it!" he snapped. "It was!"

"No Jared." Theresa struggled in his hands, and began to know something of real fear. "I never meant to hurt you! And when I said I loved you, I really meant it. I really thought I could move past Ethan! I never meant to use you!"

"Yes you did! You're just telling me more lies!" Jared snapped in a low and angry voice. "Well let me tell you something Theresa. You listen up and you listen well. This is the first and last time you will make a fool of Jared Casey!" He shoved her roughly to the ground, turned on his heel, and stormed away.

As Theresa fell to the ground, she heard a woman scream--or had it come from her own mouth? And then the world went dark.

"I can't believe you people just let him walk out there by himself!" Inside the church Ethan was fuming. Pilar, Whitney, and Paloma were trying to keep the other guests occupied, and only Chad, Luis, and Miguel were standing with Ethan in the vestibule. "Luis, you're a cop! How could you let a man like that go and be with your sister alone?" he asked angrily.

"Ethan, you did the background check on Casey yourself. You know his record was totally clean! We've been over this." Luis said tiredly.

"I don't care. I know the guy is bad news, and Theresa is in danger every minute she's out there alone with him!" Ethan rubbed the back of his neck and started to pace. "What is going on out there?"

"Ethan! Give it up man!" Chad said. "Go be with your wife, and let Jared and Theresa handle this. Jared loves Theresa; he'd never hurt her."

At that exact moment, a scream was heard from the cemetery. "What the..." Luis sprang from where he leaned against the wall, but Ethan was already out the door.

"Theresa...!!"


	3. Chapter 3

Ethan has been pacing around wondering what is going on with Jared and Theresa in the cemetery, when suddenly he hears a scream come from there...

Chapter 3

"Theresa!!!"

Ethan's feet pounded the pavement as he ran toward the direction of the scream he'd just heard, Luis, Chad, and Miguel close behind.

"Theresa!!!" No one answered, and he began to panic. She had to be OK. She just had to be.

_What if Jared kidnapped her?_ Ethan knew that he was letting his imagination run wild, but until he actually saw that Theresa was OK he couldn't be rational.

"Theresa!'' he yelled again, but still there was no answer, and he ran faster. Suddenly he saw her lying in a crumpled heap in the path, and his heart practically leapt from his chest.

"There she is!" Luis exclaimed spotting Theresa at the same time as Ethan, and all four men rushed to her side.

"No! No! No!" Ethan groaned as he leaned over Theresa's fallen form. She was unconscious and her head was lying in a pool of blood. "Theresa honey? It's me. I'm here. Wake up for me baby...please" Theresa didn't respond.

"OK, OK. I'm going to get Eve!" Chad spoke of his new mother in law, and he ran for the church.

"What happened?" Miguel asked whipping out his cell phone to call 911.

"And where's Jared?" Luis demanded. As he scanned the cemetery, he realized that Jared was nowhere to be found. "What the h is going on here? He muttered under his breath.

All the commotion and Theresa's scream had gotten the attention of every security guard and police officer in that immediate area, and they stood tensely for orders, which weren't long in coming.

"Secure the grounds!" Luis barked. "No one gets on or off this property until we find Jared Casey and whoever is responsible for this!" and they ran to do as he said.

Ethan looked up at Luis in shock. "Whoever is responsible for this? Jared is responsible for this! Jared did this to Theresa! Theresa, honey, can you hear me? Please wake up!" Theresa did not respond, and Ethan began to shake with fear and anger.

"I told you Jared was no good!" he yelled at Luis. "I told you she was in danger!"

"Hey, Hey! Take it easy! Luis tried to calm Ethan down. "We don't know for sure Jared did this. Someone else could've done this..."

"And then what?" Ethan cut him off angrily. "Kidnapped Jared? Right Luis! Even you don't believe that! Jared Casey did this! I know it as well as I know my name is Ethan Winthrop! And if it's my last act on this earth, I will hunt him down, and make him pay!"

"The ambulance is on its way!" Miguel rushed back to them, clearly out of breath. "Is she awake yet?"

As Ethan and Miguel continued to lean over Theresa, Luis thought about what Ethan said. He didn't believe someone other than Jared had hurt his baby sister. He knew in his soul that Jared had done this, but he couldn't let anyone else know. Everyone besides Ethan thought Jared was a good guy. A guy that would never hurt Theresa. It would kill them to know she had almost been married again to someone who could hurt her physically without a thought. No. He'd keep his suspensions to himself until he had solid proof. With that thought in mind, he turned to join all the other men in the search.

Inside the church, the guests were getting restless, and Pilar couldn't blame them. She was as anxious as anyone else to know what was going on with Jared and Theresa outside. Jane had gotten a little squirmy, so Gwen had taken her and Little Ethan to the rec room in the basement to play, so Pilar took the time to try to find a quiet corner to collect herself and pray.

"Dear Lord, please be with my Theresita. She is in so much pain and so confused. Help her and Jared to make a wise decision, and help them in the coming days no matter what they hold. Amen." As she finished her prayer, Pilar shook her head and muttered under her breath, "All I wanted for my daughter was a happy wedding. Why is that so much to ask?"

"You know, they say talking to yourself is the first sign that the Men in White Coats are coming for you, Pilar."

"I'm sorry Eve", Pilar said with a wry smile. "I'm just worried about all this."

"I know, dear. I know." Eve said sympathetically as she hugged her friend. "Theresa and Whitney have been friends so long she's like a daughter to me too. And I so wanted this day to end better for her than the last time."

"Did you hear that?" Pilar straightened and turned to look out the windows of the sanctuary.

"No. I didn't hear anything." a puzzled Eve said.

"I thought I heard a scream from outside. It sounded like Ethan calling Theresa's name." Pilar said worriedly, and turned to leave.

Just then Chad burst in. "Dr. Russell! Dr. Russell! Come quick! Theresa's been hurt really bad!" A gasp went through the crowd, and Pilar turned white.

"My baby is hurt? Oh no! Theresa!" she screamed and ran for the door.

"Show me where Theresa is Chad", Eve said calmly and quickly followed with Whitney and Paloma not far behind.

"Everyone else, stay where you are!" an uniformed officer suddenly appeared and continued. "No one is to leave these grounds until otherwise instructed. Chief," he turned to Sam now. "Luis asks for you to meet him in the cemetery right away."

"Fine." Sam turned to the room of people. "Do exactly what the officer says, and we'll have you leaving here as soon as possible." Then he too ran for the cemetery.

Outside, Ethan and Miguel were still trying to coax a response out of Theresa without success as the group coming from the church found them.

"Oh my baby! My baby!" Pilar cried, while Eve demanded to know what happened.

"Well, it looks like Theresa fell and hit her head on that tombstone." Miguel pointed to a headstone covered in blood. "We found her lying here like this all alone."

"Alone?" Paloma exclaimed. "You mean Jared wasn't here?"

"No he wasn't here!" Ethan said through clenched teeth. "Who do you think did this to her? Please Eve. Is she going to be all right? Please say that she is."

"Well, she's breathing normally, her pulse is strong, but I won't know anything until we stop this bleeding and I run some test. And for that of course we need to get her to the hospital."

"The ambulance should be here any minute." Miguel assured her.

"I'm going to find Luis and Sam and see if I can help." Paloma remarked and left to do just that.

Whitney clung to Chad. "She has to be OK Chad! She just has to be."

Ethan wasn't paying attention to anyone or anything that was going on around him. He only had eyes for Theresa. "Hang in there Theresa." he murmured as he stroked her face. "Hang in there. You're going to be just fine. You hear me? You're going to be fine." _She has to be, he continued to himself. She has to be. Because I don't know if I can live without her._

Gwen walked up the stairs from the rec room and anxiously looked around for her mother. A police officer had come down looking through all the rooms and filled her in on what was going on. She had left Little Ethan and Jane with their nanny and come up to check on things herself. She was looking for her mother because she knew better than to look for Ethan. She knew very well he'd be outside fussing over Theresa. Gwen scowled. Even at her own wedding Theresa had managed to be a thorn in Gwen's side. Spying Rebecca sipping out of her "special flask" at one of the windows, she hurried over.

"M_mmm! Mmmm_!" Rebecca swallowed her drink and turned to Gwen. "Honey! Where have you been? Ethan is positively making a spectacle of himself! Look!"

Gwen looked out the window, and groaned under her breath. It was just like she thought. Ethan was bending over Theresa like it was his rightful place. "Same song, second verse Mother. When is he going to remember that his ring is on my finger?"

"I don't know. But Honey you better put a stop to this right now! I mean he's making a fool of you in front of the whole town!" Rebecca twittered nervously.

"Well, if you have any ideas that won't make the situation worse, I'm open to suggestions." Gwen said in a frustrated tone.

"Make the situation worse? Honey, now's not the time for pride! You better go and get your man! Have I taught you nothing?" Rebecca asked pettily.

"I guess you're right." Gwen said. "Tell the nanny where I went please. Can I count on you to do that much?" And she went out into the cemetery.

"Ethan. What's going on?" she called out to him.

"Jared must have pushed Theresa and she hit her head. She's unconscious. Theresa, can you hear me?" Ethan still hadn't give up on trying to get Theresa to wake up, and Gwen rolled her eyes.

"Um, Honey? Maybe you should come over here out of the way. Let Eve and Pilar get close to her."

"Gwen, I can't leave her like this! She's hurt! She needs to know I'm right here."

"No, Ethan. She needs to know her family is there with her. She needs to know that Eve is doing her best to help her." Gwen reached for his arm and tried to pull him away, "Come on."

"No Gwen! We need to concentrate on Theresa right now. She needs me!" Ethan said testily as he pulled his arm away from her.

The wail of siren's announced the arrival of the ambulance and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hang on Mija! Help is here!" Pilar said into Theresa's ear as she stroked her hand. "Help is on the way."

_And not a moment too soon_, thought Gwen snidely.

"Everybody stand back! Paramedics coming through." Luis shouted instructions as he, Paloma and Sam brought the medics to Theresa's side. As they worked hurriedly under Eve's watchful eye, Pilar asked the question that was on everyone's mind.

"Mijo? Did you find Jared?"

Sam and Luis exchanged a pointed look, and then Luis took a breath. "No, Mama'. One of the security guards in the front said that he saw Jared leaving the grounds before we started the search. He said he was muttering something about 'She's not going to get away with this'. He didn't stop him because he figured that it was his wedding and he could leave if he wanted." Luis swallowed, and continued. "He also said that no one had tried to come on the grounds, and Jared was the only one that left before we secured the church. Which means," Luis paused, not believing that he had to say this. "Which means that Jared has become our number one suspect."

"No! No! He wouldn't do this! He wouldn't!" As Pilar began to sob, her children gathered around her. Off to the side, Ethan's face clouded with anger, and he turned to Gwen.

"I knew it! Didn't I tell you! I knew Jared Casey was bad news! And now Theresa is suffering for it! Ughhh!" he pounded his fist into his hand and tried to contain his anger.

"Ethan! Theresa is a big girl! She can make her own choices. It wasn't your job to stop her..." Gwen trailed off disgustedly as she realized that Ethan wasn't listening. He was watching the paramedics with Theresa as if she were his wife, instead of his crazy ex-girlfriend.

"OK. Were ready to go." Eve told everyone as the medics started to roll Theresa toward the ambulance.

In an instant, Ethan was by her side along with her family. "Theresa I'm here OK? I'm here..."

"Ethan get back here!" Gwen hissed. Let Pilar ride in the ambulance with her daughter! Honestly. You're making a spectacle of yourself!"

"What...?" Ethan was distracted by Theresa's still form.

"I said, let Pilar ride with her daughter to the hospital" Gwen said in a slightly less angry voice.

"Oh. Right. I'm sorry Pilar." Ethan said and stepped back.

"It's all right Ethan. I know you care for her too." Pilar touched Ethan's hand, then rushed to be by her daughter's side.

As the ambulance pulled away, sirens wailing, Ethan felt rage well inside him. Jared was going to pay for this. He would make him pay if took the rest of his life.

Looking on, Luis shook his head. _You better hope one of Harmony's finest catch you, Casey,_ he thought. _ So help you God if Ethan finds you first!_


	4. Chapter 4

The ambulance has whisked Theresa away to the hospital after suffering head trauma during an argument with Jared about their ruined wedding. She's unconscious, and everyone is at the hospital waiting for news...

Chapter 4

It was a tense and quiet group that gathered at Harmony Hospital to wait for Dr. Russell's verdict on Theresa. Gwen couldn't believe that she was among them. Ethan had been adamant. After a brief stop at the church to send Jane and Little Ethan to the B&B with the nanny, he'd insisted they go straight to the hospital. There wasn't an argument she hadn't tried to keep him away, but to no avail. All he'd said was, "Look! Gwen! I'm going! If you don't want to be there, feel free to go home with the nanny!"

Yeah. Like she was actually going to let him be here alone with Theresa--even if she was unconscious. As she walked through the halls back to the ER waiting room, irritation filled her very soul. _Calm down_, she instructed herself. _You can not let Ethan see that you're angry. Be the loving, understanding, dutiful wife that he thinks you are._ Taking a deep breath, she walked into the room. "Here, Honey. I brought you some coffee." she said as she sat next to Ethan.

Ethan took the cup, but didn't drink. He just stared at it with unseeing eyes. Gwen struggled to remain calm and tried again.

"Honey. You know, it's been awhile already, and it might still take some time for Eve to know what's going on with Theresa. Maybe you and I should go home to the kids and get some rest. Theresa won't be alone. I mean her whole family is here." As she said this, she looked over at Pilar, Luis, Miguel, and Paloma. "And they're not alone either. Chad and Whitney are here, and Fancy and Noah too. Maybe we should go home and be with Jane and Little Ethan. He must be so scared with his mom in the hospital." She didn't care about Theresa, but she couldn't fault Little Ethan for being her son. "Honey? What do you say?"

Ethan sighed. "I guess you're right. Little Ethan probably is worried. Why don't you go home and be with them? There's no need for both of us to be here."

"But you're coming with me right?" Gwen asked unnecessarily. She already knew the answer.

"Well no. I already told you that Theresa needs me here. She needs to know I'm here for her."

Gwen folded her arms. "Why Ethan?" she asked, her voice laced with hurt and anger. "Why? Theresa is over you! She doesn't need you! She was getting ready to marry another man."

"A man she left at the altar and just might have succeeded in killing her!" Ethan countered. "She needs to know that she's not alone."

Gwen sighed heavily just as Eve walked into the waiting room and everyone jumped to their feet.

"Eve, how is she?" Pilar asked worriedly.

"Well," Eve began. "She's better off than we originally thought. The x-rays show that she doesn't have any trauma to her neck, and the CT scan shows no bleeding in the brain or fracture of the skull. The actual wound wasn't nearly as deep as we had worried and we were able to stitch that right up. Her vital signs remain strong. My best guess is that she has a concussion, and that usually is easily treated."

"Thank God." Pilar breathed and the rest of the group murmured in agreement.

"Eve? You said 'your best guess'. What does that mean?" Luis asked. "How come you aren't sure."

"Well, unfortunately, Theresa is still unconscious." Eve said. "She hasn't regained consciousness even for a little bit, and that's worrisome. I'm afraid that until I can talk to her and do a comprehensive neurological exam, I won't know for sure that nothing else is wrong. Furthermore, the longer she stays unconscious, the greater the chances of her slipping into a coma."

Pilar dropped back into her chair and started to cry. "No. Please God no!" As her kids gathered around her once again, Miguel asked, "What do we do now Eve?"

"There's nothing we can do." she answered. "All we can do is wait. Wait and pray that she wakes up soon."

"I need to see her!" Pilar suddenly said.

"Of course. I'll take you to her right now. The rest of you can come in one or two at a time after that. But don't stay too long. Who knows? Maybe if she hears your voices, it might help her to come around." And with that said, Eve lead the way to Theresa's room.

As Ethan started to follow, Gwen grabbed his arm. "Honey? You know this really is the perfect time for us to give our condolences and leave. This really should be a private time for the family."

"For the last time Gwen, I'm not leaving!" Ethan cut her off firmly. "Didn't you hear Eve? There might be a small window of time before Theresa goes into a coma! She said that hearing our voices might help bring her around! I'm not leaving until I tell her again that I'm here for her!"

"Fine." Gwen knew that she had pushed enough. "Then let's just sit here and wait until everyone else is done. There's no need to crowd around the room."

"No. You go ahead" Ethan told her. "I need to step outside and make a phone call."

"At this hour? To who?" Gwen asked, obviously surprised and a little unsettled.

"Don't worry about it. I'll be right back." Ethan said as he walked away.

_What in the world is he up to_, Gwen wondered nervously as she watched him leave.

Outside, Ethan pulled his cell phone from his pocket and quickly dialed a number. "Hello? Yes. This is Ethan Winthrop. I need to meet with you as soon as possible..."

"Hmmmm. Where am I?" Theresa squinted against the light. "And why is it so bright? Ahhh! Who's making all the racket?" Theresa tired to cover her ears against the noise, but couldn't find the strength to raise her arms. "What's going on here?" she asked as she started to panic. Just then, Theresa heard voices.

_"I can't believe this is happening to my baby girl."_ a woman's voice said.

"That sounds like Mama! Why is she crying?" Theresa could hear her but still couldn't see because of the bright light. "Mama, why are you crying?"

_"Look at her. She looks so peaceful lying here in this bed. Almost as if she's sleeping. I'm here my precious daughter."_ Pilar began to sob. _"I'm here Mija."_

"That is Mama! And she is crying! What is she talking about? Me lying here like I'm only asleep? Mama, can't you hear me? What are you talking about?" Theresa cried. No one answered.

_"Mama'? Can we come in?" _

"That's Luis! And he's crying too. Luis, tell me what's going on. Why can't you guys hear me? And why can't I see you?" Theresa tried again.

Luis and Fancy came up beside Theresa's bed, and Luis held her hand. _"Hey there Little Sis. It's me, Luis. It's going to be OK, you hear me? We're all here for you. Mama'. Miguel, Paloma, Noah, Fancy and Me. Whitney and Chad. Ethan. We're all here. And we've got every police officer available looking for that guy! We'll make him pay for doing this to you!"_

"What guy? What did he do? He did it to me?" Theresa asked fearfully, becoming more and more panicked. "Luis answer me!"

Fancy rubbed Luis's shoulders and then wiped her own tears away. _"I can't believe he would do this to her. And on their wedding day no less!"_

"Wedding day? Who's getting married? Wedding day...wedding day...wedding day...why does that sound so familiar? Wedding day...wedding day...wedding day..." As the words chanted and danced in her mind, Theresa noticed the bright light fading away and the voices growing softer.

"Wait! Don't go!" she cried. "I'm scared! Somebody please tell me what's going on. Somebody help me..."

Suddenly she was standing in the church cemetery. Looking down, Theresa saw she was wearing a beautiful wedding dress. Then out of no where, she felt herself being grabbed by the shoulders and shaken like a baby. "This is the last time...last time...last time..."

Theresa didn't recognize the man's voice, but it sounded angry and menacing. And she couldn't see his face. She started to cry in fear. "Help Me! Please! Somebody help me!" And just as suddenly, she was falling...falling...falling...falling...

_"AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"_


	5. Chapter 5

At the hospital, Ethan steps out to make a phone call, and Theresa is still unconscious...

Chapter 5

"Oh Chad! I just can't stand to see her like that!" Whitney leaned on Chad's shoulder. They were sitting back in the waiting room after visiting Theresa.

"I know baby. But we just got to have faith. Theresa's a fighter. She'll make it through this." Chad said, rubbing her back.

"Hey guys? Have you been in yet?" Ethan walked up to the couple and had a seat.

"Yeah. Miguel, Paloma and Noah are in with her now, and you can go next." Whitney replied. "By the way, Gwen got a phone call from the nanny and had to leave. We told her we'd bring you home later."

"Great." Ethan said. "There's was no need for the both of us to be here."

"What were you up to anyway? Gwen said something about a phone call?", inquired Chad. "It's none of our business or anything, but we kind of expected to have to hold you back, you'd be so anxious to get in to see Theresa." he continued with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Don't worry. I'm not leaving until I talk to her, and that phone call--well that's going to help me nail Jared to the wall." Ethan assured them.

"OK, why does that scare me?" Whitney asked with a sideways look at Chad. "Ethan, why don't you just leave it to the police? You know with Luis on the case, they aren't going to leave any stone unturned."

"Ethan's eyes took on a determined gleam. "It's simple. Jared hurt Theresa. He hurt the mother of my child. And for that, he must pay. I'll see to it personally."

"Well OK. I just hope you know what you're doing." she replied in way of warning. "Chad and I are going to get some coffee."

"Don't worry about it. And go ahead, I'll be fine." Ethan said.

As Chad and Whitney left, Ethan scooted lower in the chair, rested his head in his hand, and sighed. His thoughts immediately turning toward Theresa, he closed his eyes. How could this possibly have happened? What could he have done to prevent this? Unbidden, an image of Theresa laying there in a heap in that cemetery flashed in his mind and anger swelled in his chest again. If Theresa didn't make it through this...well, that was too horrible to think about. She'd make it. She had to.

His eyes still closed, other images and their corresponding memories started to come to mind, and he smiled.

There was the time he and one of his frat buddies were at the Book Cafe. It had been really busy, and Ethan had been really impatient. He chuckled to himself. He'd been such a Crane back then. Believing that as a Crane his order was a priority, he'd interrupted the waitress...

_"Uh Miss? Miss...I'd like to place my order now."_

_"Look! I'll get to you in a minute…" As she turned around, she took a shocked breath and dropped the tray of coffee she was carrying. "Oh my...it's you! I mean...I'm so sorry..." _

_She was obviously flustered, and that was making her make the mess worse instead of better. Ethan remembered that he had felt bad about his behavior and had apologized and stooped to help her. As they stood up, he was met with the biggest, most beautiful brown eyes he'd ever seen. And those lashes...he had been mesmerized._

He didn't know it then, but apparently Theresa had decided a long time before that she was going to be his wife someday. She had decided that Fate was going to drop them in each other's laps, they would fall in love and eventually get married.

Well, she'd been right on two points--they had been dropped in each other's laps, and they had fallen madly in love. Marriage though...well they'd struck out twice there. It wasn't for lack of trying. _Everything got in the way. All the lies.._

"Ethan?" Noah's voice brought him out of his daydream. "You can go in now."

"OK thanks. How is she?" Ethan asked, trying to hide his sudden anxiety.

"She hasn't woken up, if that's what you mean. But she looks good. " replied Noah.

Paloma stepped to his side. "It'll be OK Ethan. Just talk to her." she encouraged. Swallowing hard, Ethan moved to the doorway of Theresa's room, and slowly walked in.

She was as beautiful as ever. Her beautiful brown hair spread across the pillow, those wonderfully long lashes fanned against her cheeks, her full lips relaxed into a peaceful pose...god she was beautiful. He thought of her face as it usually was and tears clogged his throat: eyes sparkling with life, her smile lighting up the room. Her face always just seemed to glow from within. Ethan didn't know how he was going to live without that face if it came to it.

Walking slowly up to the bed, Ethan sat down and took Theresa's hand. "Hey Theresa. It's me. I'm here." Nothing. Paloma had said to just talk to her, but what was he supposed to say? He was sorry? Sorry for what? That he didn't protect her from Jared? Sorry that he left her in a position to be vulnerable to him in the first place? That hardly seemed adequate. Finally, he leaned forward and whispered into her ear the only thing that seemed important right then.

"I love you. I love you. I will always love you."

The lack of response frustrated him to no end, and he hung his head over hers defeatedly. What he wouldn't give to hear her tell him she loved him right then. Sighing sadly, he closed his eyes and let his mind wonder to the first time he'd heard her say those words…

_"AHHHHHHHHH!!!!" Theresa felt herself falling deeper and deeper into a dark hole. "AHHHHHHHHHH!!!! Uhhh". As suddenly as she had started falling, she stopped, landing softly on the ground. "What the heck...". Theresa picked herself up and smoothed her dress. "What a minute? I thought I was wearing a wedding dress..." Looking down at herself, she suddenly remembered. "This is the dress I wore to my Senior Prom and Ethan was my date! And I'm not in the cemetery anymore. Then where am I?"_

_Suddenly, Theresa heard music. "Where's that music coming from?" Theresa walked slowly in the dark toward the sound, feeling her way along with her hands. Then her hands touch something cool like metal…maybe a door handle? Pulling the handle toward her, a door opened and she stepped through it to find her self standing alone in the hallway leading to the Harmony High School gym. _

"_Why do I have this feeling of Déjà vu?" she asked herself. "Well, the music seems to be coming from the gym, so I guess I'll go check it out." _

_Walking into the gym, Theresa stopped in surprise. "It's decorated exactly like it was during my prom." Looking around, Theresa spotted Whitney. "That's the dress Whitney wore to the prom." Just as she was about to call to her, Whitney saw Theresa and ran over._

"_There you are." She exclaimed then gave her a sly look. "It looks like you and Ethan are getting pretty cozy…so. Spill. Is it everything you'd thought it would be? You know…being here with Ethan Crane as your date?"_

"_I guess this is my prom. What's going on?" Theresa wondered just as the lights dimmed and the DJ addressed the crowd. "OK everybody listen up. We're gonna slow it down on more time and then your prom is over forever. So grab your love. You don't miss your chance for the last dance."_

_The opening strains of "When You Tell Me That You Love Me" began to play, and Theresa smiled as Julio began to sing. She turned to find Ethan standing next to her, looking as much the part of Prince Charming as ever, and he held out his hand. _

"_May I have this dance?" his voice was most charming. _

"_Of course" she agreed without hesitation, and they moved into each other's arms._

_Theresa sighed, perfectly content to be in his arms. She'd dreamed and hoped that Fate would smile on her and bring Ethan into her life, but in her wildest dreams she'd never dreamt of anything this perfect. _

_I want to kiss your smile and feel your pain…I know what's beautiful looking at you…" _

_The song continued and it reminded her of Ethan. Everything they'd been through. All the beautiful experiences they'd shared since they'd first met. Suddenly, Theresa was overcome with a wave of emotion and took a deep breath. "Is this what it's like? Is this real?"_

_In this world of lies, you are the true…._

_Hearing those words, Theresa knew the truth…she loved Ethan. She really loved him._

_Looking down into her eyes, Ethan asked, "What are you thinking?"_

_Feeling only little afraid, Theresa answered. "That I love you."_

_Ethan's eye warmed at that and he whispered, "I love you to…" his lips moving toward hers…_

_Suddenly, she and Ethan were covered in darkness. Before Theresa could ask what was happening, she was ripped from Ethan's arms by her shoulders and shaken…_

"_This is the last time…last time…last time…." An angry voice yelled. _

"_No! Stop! Ethan help me!" she screamed, but in the dark she sensed she was alone, and the hands that held her shoulders covered her mouth, then pulled her down into the black abyss…. _

BeepBeepBeepBeeepBEEEEEPPPPPPP!!!! Ethan's head snapped up at that sound and his eyes darted to the monitors that were watching Theresa's vitals. He wasn't sure, but her heart rate seemed really high, and she was breathing faster as well. "Eve! Somebody! Hel…!"

Before he could finish, Eve whisked into the room, several nurses and ER workers right behind. "What happened?" she asked in shock.

"I don't know!" Ethan said, panicked. I was just sitting here and all the sudden the alarms were going…Eve what's going on?"

"I'm not sure, but you're going to have to step outside while I figure it out.", she said, and gently pushed Ethan from the room. All the commotion had drawn the attention of Theresa's family and they came running up just in time to hear Eve. They huddled together, crying as they looked through the window at the chaos in Theresa's room, and again Pilar prayed. "Please God. Don't let anything happen to my daughter! Please spare my baby girl!"


	6. Chapter 6

An unconscious Theresa feels herself being pulled into the dark and alarms from the machines monitoring her begin to sound... (Rating: PG13)

Chapter 6

_Falling through the darkness, Theresa struggled against the hands covering her mouth and instantly they disappeared. Feeling relief that the mysterious hands with the angry voice attached were gone; she still felt terror at falling through the dark._

_Ooof. Once again, she'd stop falling as quickly as she had started, and was now lying on something soft. "Well, at least it didn't hurt," she thought, and tried to calm herself. Lying still with her eyes closed, Theresa thought back trying to piece together what had happened._

_"Before I started falling, Ethan and I were dancing at my prom. Ethan was just about to kiss me after telling me that he loved me…how did I get to the prom? That was years ago…wait a minute. I was falling. That's right! I was falling. Falling from where?" Theresa started to shiver as she remembered. "That voice…those hands…they were shaking me. I remember. They were shaking me…in the church cemetery. Owww, my head." Theresa winced in pain, but made herself remember. "I was wearing a wedding dress, and I was standing in the cemetery when the hands grabbed me by my shoulders and started shaking me. And that angry voice was yelling, "this was the last time" over and over._

_"Wedding dress…why was I wearing it?" Theresa thought back further. "Wait, before that, I was lying dow, and I heard Mama and Luis. They were crying and said that they were going to 'make that guy pay.' And Fancy was saying something about 'not believing that he'd do this on their wedding day'…could it have been my wedding day? It must have been, but what happened? I can't remember! I'm so tired…". Frustration filled Theresa's soul._

_"Well, I wonder where I am now." Stretching in the dark, her hand felt something smooth and soft all around her. Picking up some of the soft substance, it sifted quickly through her fingers. "It feels like sand at the beach…" she thought. "Sand at the beach…" Theresa's eyes flew open and she bolted to a sitting position. Slowly she looked around…_

_"There's the fire, just like I remember." Looking down, Theresa saw a diamond ring on her finger. "This is the ring Ethan gave me when we were engaged…and that's the red halter dress I was wearing the night we…made love on the beach…_

_"Hey" Ethan said in a soft voice, and Theresa turned to see him lying beside her, looking up at her with warm eyes. _

_"Hey" she answered back shyly. _

_"We're getting married today you know." he continued, sitting up to put his arms around her. _

_"I can hardly wait" Theresa said with a smile and settled back into his arms. _

_"Are you sorry that we technically didn't wait until our wedding day?" Ethan whispered._

_"No" Theresa answered without hesitation. "Mama would have a fit though." she said with a chuckle, and Ethan had to agree with a smile._

_"Then we just won't tell her." he said leaning forward for a kiss. "I love you, Theresa …."_

_As they kissed, Theresa sensed more than heard a strange presence. The tide rose rapidly and the wind started to blow… "Oh no! Not again!" she cried to herself just as the mysterious hands grabbed her and pulled her back into the dark…_

"I love you Theresa." Ethan said quietly. He brushed his fingers one last time across her cheeks and left with Chad and Whitney for home. The ride to the B&B was very quiet, each person thinking about the day's events and what Eve had said…

_"I don't know what happened in there" Eve began. "I've rerun every test, taken additional x-rays, run EKGs to check her heart…everything is normal."_

_Pilar sighed in relief, but Luis asked the thing on everyone's mind. "Then what is going on Eve? What are we going to do?"_

_"I don't know Luis. This is just as frustrating for me as it is for you, you know. If I can't find a problem, I can't fix it. And based on this" Eve said picking up Theresa's file, "there isn't a thing wrong. __The only thing we can do is keep hoping and praying that Theresa wakes up soon. Until then, I'll keep doing research on my own and contact some specialists that might be able to shed some light on the situation. Theresa is getting the best of care, and we will call you immediately with any changes or if I find some more information, so go home and get some rest. I think we're all going to need it..."_

Letting himself into his and Gwen's room, Ethan made another promise to Theresa. _I won't let Jared get away with this sweetheart. He'll pay for hurting you if it's the last thing I ever do._

Back at home as well, Pilar, Luis, Miguel, and Paloma sat at their kitchen table, each one weary to the bone, but knowing they would never sleep.

"Mama? What's wrong? You look like you're a thousand miles away. Paloma asked.

"I was just thinking about your sister Mija. I can't believe I'm even thinking this way, but I was wondering if this wouldn't be a good time to look at Theresa's will?" Pilar remarked quietly

"Will?" Luis exclaimed incredulously. "Mama, Theresa is not dying!" and Miguel nodded in agreement.

"Yeah! We don't need to do that Mama. Julian is watching over the business for a couple of days, and Ethan and Gwen are watching Jane and Little Ethan. Everything will go back to normal as soon as Theresa wakes up. We don't need to worry about her will."

"I know all that, boys. But as much as I hate to think of it, we need to remember what Eve said. The longer Theresa stays unconscious the greater her chances of going into a coma. She hasn't regained consciousness in all these hours…what if she never does?" Pilar looked around the table at the drained faces of her children and her own eyes filled with tears. "We need to know what your sister's wishes are and what she has arranged in case…in case this doesn't end as we hope." she finished softly.

Luis, Miguel, and Paloma looked at each other. "You're right Mama." Luis said. "Maybe we should call Valerie and find out if she can set something up", and he left to use the phone. Tensely, the rest of the Lopez-Fitzgearlds waited for him to return, which he did faster than they thought.

"It's taken care of." Luis said. "Valerie will get a hold of Theresa's attorney and schedule an appointment for tomorrow afternoon. That way we can see Theresa in the morning and have a better idea what the situation is."

"OK, yeah. I'll be there."

"Who was that?" Gwen asked as Ethan hung up the phone with a puzzled look on his face.

"It was Valerie. She said that they are planning to look at Theresa's will with the lawyer tomorrow."

"Her will?" Gwen was surprised at this. "Is Theresa dying?" Gwen hoped she didn't sound too eager.

"No. Pilar just thought that in this situation, knowing Theresa's wishes might be helpful. You know…just in case." Ethan answered.

"Well, I guess." Gwen said. "But why does Valerie think you need to be there?"

"Apparently, there's something in the there that pertains to me." Ethan sat back in his chair and stared off into space and Gwen crossed her arms, a frown darkening her brow.

_Something for Ethan in Theresa's will? What is that witch doing to ruin my life now?_


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer and have no idea about legalities of wills and such, but have written the story for dramatic effect. Please excuse any irregularities you may find in what would be standard procedure for this kind of thing. (Rating: PG13)

Chapter 7

Ethan drummed his fingers impatiently on the table as he waited for his breakfast companion to arrive. After calling the hospital the minute he'd opened his eyes this morning and learning that there had been no change in Theresa's condition, he was more than a little impatient for this meeting to take place. Thinking of Theresa and Jared's part in her current predicament, Ethan felt himself becoming more and more angry. It just wasn't fair. A beautiful person like Theresa lying there in a hospital bed—a virtual prisoner of her own body—and scum like Jared running free on the streets. Taking a deep breath, Ethan glanced around the busy restaurant again, then sighed in relief as a familiar face walked through the door.

"Ethan Winthrop!"

"Scott Evans!" Ethan stood with an easy handshake for his old college roommate. "It's been a long time."

"And how." Scott replied as they sat down at the table. "I have to say I was really surprised to get your call last night. You've been a very busy man. You know…if the average tabloid can be trusted." he finished with a laugh.

Ethan took a sip of coffee and gave Scott a wry look. " 'Average Tabloid' as in "_Daily Private Lives"_? Yeah. JT Cornell did go around making all of our lives a living nightmare. He was running around apparently with enough blackmail material to humiliate the entire town of Harmony."

"Well, if he was running around town, where is he now?" Scott asked as he fixed his own cup of coffee.

Ethan chuckled. "He's dead. Fell out of my best friend's wedding cake about 6 months ago."

Scott's eyes grew round at this. "Fell out of your best friend's wedding cake? I seriously must've been out of it because I don't remember that being in the papers!"

"Yeah, I was surprised it didn't make a bigger splash too." Ethan replied. He paused as the waitress came to take their orders, then continued. "You know Scott. JT's death caused a personal problem for me—besides the trauma to my best friend, that is."

"How could JT Cornell be causing personal problems for the straight shooting Ethan Winthrop?" Scott laughed. "Don't tell me he was blackmailing you, and now you're the prime suspect in his murder!"

"No, No!" Ethan replied with a good-natured smile. "It wasn't what he _had_ on me, it was what he was _doing_ for me." At Scott's confused look, Ethan explained.

"I hired JT to do some digging into the background of someone that I thought was trouble for one thing, and getting too close to my godson and his mother for another. I figured that if there was anything at all shady in this guy's past, JT was the man to find it. Turns out, I was right. JT found something that made even him sick. He had made arrangements to tell me what he'd found, but he showed up as the surprise filling in the wedding cake instead."

Their food arrived then, so again Ethan paused before continuing. "I am sure that if JT had been able to complete this task, I could've used the information to protect my friend and her son from what happened yesterday."

Scott had listened quietly to Ethan's story to this point, but spoke now. "Let me see if I've got this straight. This guy—JT Cornell—had dirt on someone that you could've used to protect a friend, but died before he could deliver it, which ultimately lead to your friend being hurt yesterday by this someone…" at Ethan's nod he continued. "And now you'd like me, as a private investigator, to find out what JT knew. That's a pretty big favor man. I mean one person dead and another one wounded…not looking good for the next person that tries to cross this individual."

Ethan leaned forward. "I know it's a lot to ask, but please help me. I need someone I can trust to do this because I don't trust Jared Casey not to be out there paying somebody off to keep me in the dark…"

"Jared Casey?" Scott interrupted in shock. "You mean the dude that every police officer on this coast and probably in this whole country is looking for? The one that was supposed to but didn't marry Alistair Crane's widow? The same widow that is now lying unconscious in Harmony Hospital?" Scott whistled under his breath at the nod of Ethan's head. "When you finally decided to get in trouble, you decided to get in all the way."

Thinking Scott didn't know the half of it, Ethan finished his coffee and asked, "Well, will you help me or not?"

"Sure." Scott agreed after a long moment. "What do you want to know?"

Resolve in his voice, Ethan gave the same instructions he'd given JT six months before. "Find out everything. From the second he was born. When you're done, Jared Casey won't have had a sniffle that I don't know about."

Later that same afternoon, the Lopez-Fitzgeralds were waiting in the attorney's office for the reading of Theresa's will. Their visit to Theresa that morning hadn't been encouraging. Aside from a few more episodes of her heart racing without warning for no apparent reason, there had been no change. Pilar had been praying all night and that morning as well, but she found herself praying again. She had a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach that the reading of this will would tell them something that would change their lives forever—no matter if Theresa lived or died. The arrival of the lawyer as well as Ethan and Julian (all making apologizes for their tardiness) brought Pilar out of her pensive thoughts.

"Mr. Crane" the attorney, Mr. Lawrence began. "Glad you were able to make it. Your staff was unsure if you would be able to clear your schedule for this meeting."

Julian waved his hand dismissively. "Of course I would be here. This will contains instructions, I'd presume, about what is to happen to my son if Theresa can not raise him. And more importantly I am most anxious to see how my father's young widow thinks she can waste his money…"

Luis, Miguel, and Ethan bristled at this and Pilar was quick to keep things on track. "Please sir. Can we please just get on with this?" And the reading began.

"Well. As far as money, everything is pretty straightforward. Aside from the added amounts allocated to Mrs. Lopez-Fitzgerald, and cash gifts to her brothers and sister—which will not be disclosed at this time—Theresa left pretty much whatever monetary amount Alistair had set aside for Julian and Sheridan and their children in his original will. As Mr. Crane left Theresa in charge of everything and stated that she should speak for him in his death, she was free to leave or change anything she pleased." Mr. Lawrence clarified for them all.

"Yes. Well I suppose that's fair." Julian said snottily. Paloma and Pilar and to physically restrain Miguel and Luis from smacking him, and Ethan addressed Mr. Lawrence.

"What about Little Ethan and Jane? Theresa's children were the most important things in her life. What are her wishes for them?"

Adjusting his glasses, the attorney continued. "OK. The children. That's where it gets…well you'll see. Basically, she has left Crane Industries, all controlling interests, and the running thereof to Ethan Crane and Jane Winthrop."

"Jane? Why that's preposterous!" Julian scoffed. "Jane is not a Crane and has no interest whatsoever in the company! I will not allow her to have any part of it." Everyone else in the room was sitting in quiet shock as Mr. Lawrence continued.

"Furthermore, Mrs. Crane has appointed Ethan Winthrop as head of Crane Industries until Ethan Crane and Jane Winthrop are of appropriate age to assume the duties entailed." The office was so quiet you could hear a pin drop for just a moment before Julian's hand smacked down on the tabletop.

"That is impossible! Sheridan and I should be running the company with our children!" Julian was enraged. Suddenly he turned on Ethan. "You are my attorney! How could you stab me in the back like this?"

"I had no idea Theresa was doing this." Ethan protested still in shock. "I'm as surprised as all of you!"

"I will not allow it!" Julian continued to rage. "I will fight it! You hear me? I will not let Ethan and Jane have a hand in running the company my father built!"

"Mr. Crane we can discuss legalities later, but I assume the rest of you are more concerned about custody arrangements?" At the murmur of agreement from everyone else, Mr. Lawrence shuffled through some more leaves of the will, and began to read.

_"As to the custody of my children I have given a great deal of thought. They are the best things I have to leave behind for my family, and I know they all love them and will always look out for their best interests. Mama has all through my life cautioned and advised me to put aside my selfishness in the interest of what is right no matter what it costs me, a lesson that I haven't always applied. But I hope she will be proud of me as I try to apply it now, as I have made a decision that cuts me to the core. My decision will seem ironic considering I've spent a lot of effort to keep it from happening (for reasons that will be disclosed shortly). Though it hurts me, I believe it's the right thing to do."_

"If she felt is was the right thing to do, why has she been fighting me over custody of the boy all these years?" Julian wondered. Ethan glowered at Julian and hoped that whatever Theresa wished for Jane didn't include her spending too much time at the mansion with her brother. He couldn't bear the thought of her spending one minute in the same house as Julian.

Mr. Lawrence paused at this interruption then continued. _"I hereby grant full custody of my children, namely Ethan Crane and Jane Winthrop, to their father and his wife…"_ at this Pilar sat up straight. She knew it! She knew that something was not quite right. Holding her breath, she waited to hear what the attorney would say.

"I believe you mean 'Fathers and their wives'." Julian immediately corrected Mr. Lawrence, who repeated with emphasis,

"_I grant full custody of my children __**to their father and his wife**__, namely Ethan and Gwen Winthrop."_


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Again, I am not a lawyer so if the reasoning I've used if faulty, please excuse. We left the last time with the truth about Little Ethan's paternity being revealed. What's the fall out? Well... (Rating: PG13)

Chapter 8

_"I hereby grant full custody of my children to their father and his wife, namely Ethan and Gwen Winthrop."_

"What is that little tramp talking about? Little Ethan is my son—not Ethan's!" Julian was understandably incensed. "He has no right to custody of my son!"

_So that's why she's been so persistent that Ethan be a part of his life_, Pilar said introspectively.

"I'm sorry. Did he just say that Ethan is father to both Ethan and Jane?" Paloma, Luis, and Miguel were looking at each other in shock.

" I believe Mrs. Crane has left explanations for all of this…if you'd please calm down…please let me finish…"

Mr. Lawrence was unsuccessfully trying to restore order to the meeting, but Ethan couldn't focus.

_"…their father and his wife…their father…namely Ethan…Winthrop"_

Ethan squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head slightly in an attempt to clear it. Little Ethan was his son? He and Theresa had two children? No…that was impossible. The only time they'd been together before Jane was conceived was that night on the beach. The night on the beach! Was it then? It couldn't have been; it was their first time! Besides, they'd talked to Eve about that possibility the minute Theresa found out she was pregnant, and she'd said that there was no way since Theresa was on birth control at the time. But there wasn't another time; it had to be then. None of this made any sense!

"Ethan don't just sit there looking like you didn't know any of this! This must be why you refused to give one hundred percent to my custody case! I can't believe I trusted you!" Julian was beyond angry with Ethan, who just looked at him with a dazed expression on his face.

Pilar's voice broke in compassionately. "Ethan? Ethan honey? Look at me. Are you OK?"

"What…? I'm sorry. Mr. Lawrence? Are you actually saying that Little Ethan is my son?" Suddenly Ethan was desperate to know the truth.

"Yes." replied Mr. Lawrence. "Yes little Ethan Crane is your son. I did not actually prepare Mrs. Crane's will, but I find she has been very clear about that point, and very thorough in including all the documents of proof that she had." He handed Ethan some papers to review, Pilar, Luis, Miguel, and Paloma looking over his shoulder.

"Unless one of those papers is a lab report of DNA results, I refuse to believe it!" Julian was starting to regain control, but was still extremely angry. " This is ridiculous! I won't stand for it! I will fight this and Theresa's ludicrous will with everything I have!"

"He's my son. He's really my son." Ethan said to himself. Looking up at Pilar, he saw tears in her eyes.

"I'm not sure why it happened this way, but I do know that I'm thankful that that monster Julian isn't his father." she said, and the rest of her family nodded in agreement.

"I still demand a DNA test!" Julian now turned to the attorney. "Mr. Lawrence, there has to be some law if not several that were broken here. She cannot possibly be able to take my father's company, and leave it to be run by people that aren't even part of the family."

Mr. Lawrence raised an eyebrow and tilted his head to the side. "Actually Mr. Crane, I'm afraid she can. She is your father's widow, and he left her everything while disinheriting all his children and grandchildren. She's free to do with it as she pleases."

"He only did that to punish us for whatever betrayals he thought we were guilty of. As for Theresa, he only married her because he thought she had the only Crane heir left that he could mold into his twisted successor!"

"Well, whatever his reasons it doesn't matter. He did it, so it stands." Mr. Lawrence said patiently.

Luis chuckled. "I think it's some form of cosmic justice. After all the years that old b spent making our lives miserable, and making us pay for Katherine running off with Papa—his company gets to be run by one of us."

Miguel had to agree with a laugh of his own. "Yes. Well, I think that's fair." he replied mockingly.

"Well, Theresa probably knew about this all along, and only married my father to get the money. That has to be fraud!" Julian tried a different tactic.

"Do you actually have proof of that?" asked Mr. Lawrence.

"Proof?" Julian scoffed. "Oh come on! It's obvious!"

Ethan spoke up quietly. "Actually, she said it wasn't about the money. She said Alistair had promised to help her get Jane and me away from Gwen."

The Lopez-Fitzgeralds all nodded in agreement. "She told us that too." Pilar confirmed. "Heaven knows we all tried to tell her how foolish that was."

"Strike two." Remarked Mr. Lawrence tiredly with a look at Julian.

"Well, she kept Little Ethan's true paternity from Ethan and my father, and was still going to let him inherit everything…there has to be a problem there." Julian was growing desperate.

"I would agree. Normally." Mr. Lawrence clarified with a raise of his hand, and Julian dropped into his chair with a groan at his short-lived victory. "The documents clearly show that Mrs. Crane was not aware of the paternity mix up until after your father adopted Little Ethan. Now that Mr. Winthrop knows about his son, he can most certainly exercise his parental rights, nullify the adoption and petition the court for a change in Little Ethan's last name."

"All of that should be enough to keep Little Ethan from running the company one day and most certainly with his sister Jane." interrupted Julian. "And most assuredly warrants charges brought against Theresa for fraud at least!" he continued.

"Mr. Crane, please listen!" Mr. Lawrence said sharply. "Normally that would all be true. Except your father disinherited you, and in his death left everything to Theresa. She is still allowed to do with the company as she pleases. If that means leaving it to her own children instead of yours, that's her legal right to do so. I'm sorry Mr. Crane. I believe that you are out of options."

Julian shook his head in disgust. "No. No. I will not stand for this! I will fight this with everything I have. There isn't a court in the world that will rule against the head of the Crane Empire!" he finished with renewed confidence in his voice.

"Again, that would be Mrs. Crane…" Shrugging his shoulders as Julian turned red with rage, Mr. Lawrence continued. "I'm sorry Mr. Crane. The only one with any legal case at all here is Mr. Winthrop in the matter of the adoption. You don't have a case to take to court. Frankly, you should be thankful that Mrs. Crane was generous enough to put you back into the will in the first place."

Luis laughed outright at this. "Well Julian, I guess you finally used all of your 'Get Out Of Jail Free' cards and Karma has come to collect. Welcome to the world of The Great Unwashed!"

"Sucks, don't it?" Miguel joined in Luis's mirth, and even Paloma coughed to cover a chuckle of her own.

Pilar gave them a look and whispered, "That's enough Luis. Don't stir the pot." Raising her voice she addressed the attorney. "Is that all Mr. Lawrence?"

"I believe so" he replied. "Oh. One more thing. I believe that this belongs to you, Mr. Winthrop." and he handed Ethan a sealed white envelope. It was covered with Theresa's handwriting. "There was a note attached stating that this would explain everything." Turning back to the rest of the people assembled, Mr. Lawrence gathered his things and said, "If you need anything, please call." and walked out the door.

"This isn't over!" Julian snapped as he followed the lawyer out of the room.

Alone with Theresa's family, Ethan felt uncomfortable for the first time. "So much for Pilar never finding out about that night on the beach." he thought as he caught Pilar's knowing eye.

"Are you OK Ethan?"

Ethan thought about this for a moment. "I'm still in shock I think. I have a son. I have a son. I have a son and a daughter with Theresa."

"Yeah, you do." she said softly. "What are you going to do now?" Ethan knew that there was much more behind those words than there seemed.

"I don't know" he replied quietly. "I just don't know."


	9. Chapter 9

Last time we left the Lopez-Fitzgeralds and Ethan in the lawyer's office having just found out that Little Ethan is really Ethan's son. Julian had stormed out, promising that "this wasn't over"... (Rating: PG13)

Chapter 9

"Honey, you haven't touched your dinner."

Ethan looked at Gwen blankly. "I'm sorry sweetie. Did you say something?"

Gwen tried to laugh, but it didn't quite come off. "I said, you haven't touched you dinner."

Looking down and his full plate, Ethan threw down his fork and stopped pretending to eat. "I guess I'm not really hungry. Sorry." The phone rang just then and Ethan went to answer it.

Watching him, Gwen tried to swallow the dread rising up in her chest. Something was wrong. Ever since Ethan had come back from the reading of Theresa's will yesterday, he'd been wandering around in a fog. And he refused to talk about it. Gwen had coaxed and cajoled, encouraged and begged him to confide in her, but he never would say what had gone on there.

_Too bad Mother is still out of town. I'm sure she would've heard something from Julian about this,_ she thought.

Clearing the dishes from the table, Gwen's mind turned toward Theresa, and that made Gwen more nervous. She didn't trust that little witch as far as she could throw her, and was fairly positive that whatever was in that will was designed to put some kind of wedge between herself and Ethan. Theresa was relentless, and even her death wouldn't stop her from trying to ruin Ethan's marriage. Not that Theresa didn't have a right to be angry.

_If only Theresa didn't know that Mother and I ruined Ethan's life with Ivy's secret and framed her for it just to get Ethan to come back to me, I wouldn't be constantly worried that my marriage was about to go up in smoke,_ Gwen thought.

This was a worry that had only gotten worse since JT Cornell's death. Rebecca, being his only friend and confidant, knew and had told Gwen all about the files he'd kept on this little flash drive detailing everyone he was blackmailing and why. Rebecca also told her that JT figured out that Rebecca was planning to double cross him to protect herself and Gwen, and sent the drive to "Daily Private Lives", leaving everyone to be exposed in the press. Unfortunately, JT and turned up dead, and the flash drive missing before the editor of the tabloid had received it. Gwen didn't know if this was better or not. At least if the secrets had come out, the game would be over already. Who knew where that flash drive was now, or what anyone planned to do with it.

Finished cleaning up the mess from their dinner, Gwen had settled into the chair to read Jane a story when Ethan hurried from the bedroom, still talking to whoever had just called.

"I wasn't expecting to hear from you so soon. You said you just e-mailed the information to me?" he asked as he booted up his laptop. Gwen turned an ear to Ethan's side of the conversation, trying not to make it obvious that she was listening.

"JT was right? What do you mean?"

At this, Gwen's pulse sped up and she listened more closely.

"He really was scum? Scott you're scaring me. What did you find?" Ethan was typing quickly as he logged into his e-mail. "Oh wait a sec, here it is…" Ethan paused to scan the screen, then his eyes nearly popped out of his head and the color drained from his face. "Oh…my…god! This…this is…is this for real?" he asked the caller in shock. "Uh huh. Uh huh. Well keep looking, and I'm going to turn this over to the police right away. And Scott? Thanks." Ethan hung up the phone and immediately dialed another number.

Gwen cleared her throat and tried to look nonchalant. "So. Was that your old roommate Scott Evans? I didn't know you'd talked to him recently."

"Yeah, I talked to him the night Theresa was admitted to the hospital. I hired him to find out what JT had on Jared Casey. Come on Dad! Pick up the phone…!"

"You're still on that? I thought the police were handling it." Gwen was trying to maintain her composure, but felt it slipping by the minute. If Ethan had Scott investigating what JT had on Jared, it wasn't too far a jump to think that maybe he'd eventually find out what she and her mother were hiding as well.

"Yeah I'm still on that!" Ethan answered as if that would be obvious to anyone. "He nearly killed Theresa, Gwen. She still could die. We have to find…Dad? Thank goodness you're home!" Ethan interrupted himself as Sam answered the phone. "I have a lead on Jared Casey for you and I want to bring it right over. Good. See you in a couple of minutes."

"Honey, this must be really serious. What did Scott find?" Gwen's voice was innocently curious to the extreme. She didn't want Ethan to sense her anxiety.

"Sorry sweetie, but I really don't have time to talk about it right now. See you later." And grabbing his laptop, Ethan ran out the door.

Spike looked over his shoulder one last time to make sure he hadn't been followed then ducked into the dark alley.

"You certainly took your precious time meeting me here." A man's raspy voice was heard from the shadows, and Spike walked in that direction.

"Hey! As son-in-law of the Chief of Police, I've got to be a little more careful." Spike said testily. "Stop sweating me. I'm here now."

"Yeah, I guess. I need you to do a job for me. One of a delicate nature." Lowering his voice, the man outlined his needs for Spike.

"Shouldn't be a problem." Spike said confidently. "Have it done for you in a jiffy."

"Now you do only what I ask. If anything goes wrong, you're on your own! You got that." The man's voice was deadly serious.

"I'm not worried, Raspy Throat." Spike replied glibly. "If I go down, I'm taking all of you with me."

"Don't call me that! And who is all going down with you?" Spike was asked in an annoyed tone.

Cackling with glee, Spike put his hand in his pocket and withdrew a flash drive for the man to see. "Everybody on here! And oh yeah. You're on here too."

"Give me that! And how did you get a hold of that anyway?" A gloved hand reached to swipe the drive away, but Spike pulled it quickly out of reach.

"Oh no no! You can't have this Mr. Throat! And how I got it is for me to know and you never to find out!" Spike was cocky now. "All you need to know is that if you're planning on screwing me over…don't. Because I'll sing like the Holland Boys Choir about all the stuff you've ever done!"

"Fine" the raspy voice answered. "Your fee upon completion of this task will be…"

Spike whistled at the number quoted. "Make it half now and half after, and we'll be in business." he demanded greedily, and they shook hands to seal the deal. "Now" Spike continued. "We need to discuss my up front fee."

"_Up front fee_? You're already getting half up front! What more could you possibly want?" The man was getting angry now.

"Oh, I'm sorry. That will be for services rendered." Spike's voice was dripping with charm. "I'm talking about up front money. You called up, I showed up, and that means you pay up! Consider it…a consultation fee. I mean, do you want this taken care of or not? My time is precious ya know!"

Grumbling under his breath, the man reached into his pocket and pulled out a clip full of money. "I assume cash will be acceptable?" he asked snidely as he passed some bills to Spike.

"Oh yeah!" Spike laughed evilly. "All these Benjamin's will do nicely."

"When can I expect this to be done? When and where do you want the money?" the raspy voice asked as Spike turned to leave.

"Don't worry about it. You just be waiting by that special number you called from with the money Buddy Boy." And with that, Spike left the alley and the man with the raspy voice behind.


	10. Chapter 10

Last time: Ethan received some disturbing news about Jared Casey from his friend Scott, and Spike had a mysterious meeting with a man in a dark alley... (Rating: PG13)

Chapter 10

Pilar smoothed Theresa's hair from her forehead, then laid her own on Theresa's shoulder. It had been fours days since Theresa had been unconscious, and that didn't show any signs of changing soon. Tears filled Pilar's eyes as she thought of Little Ethan and Jane. What would they do without their mother? She knew that Ethan would take good care of them, but also knew that Theresa would turn in her grave at the thought of Gwen raising her children. The idea didn't thrill Pilar either. At times she could at least deal civilly with Gwen, but her mother Rebecca was insufferable!

"How is she, Mama?" Theresa's brothers and sister arrived with Fancy and Noah to interrupt Pilar's thoughts.

Pilar thought back carefully, trying to remember exactly what Eve had said. "Well, Eve says that though Theresa hasn't shown any signs of regaining consciousness, she still responds to stimuli so she hasn't gone into a coma." Luis, Miguel, and Paloma all breathed sighs of relief. "She also said that she was able to consult with some specialists, and some think that maybe Theresa is "living" some horrible dream in her head, and her brain is trying to bring her back from that. They think the times when her heart races could be corresponding to something especially terrifying in her dream . It's all speculation, but it at least makes sense in a way."

"How awful!" Fancy really felt bad. She and Theresa had gotten to be friends over the years and she hated to see her hurting.

"How's the search for Jared going, Luis?" Miguel felt helpless seeing Theresa like this, and having Jared out there somewhere wasn't helping.

"Ethan actually came up with a big tip for us." Luis said. "I know Sam was pleased to finally have something to go on." here, he paused with a look at Theresa and lowered his voice. "It's pretty bad you guys--what Ethan found out. I don't want to go into it right now though."

Everyone sat quietly for a few minutes concern and worry etching their brows, then Noah cleared his throat. "Has anyone seen Ethan lately? I thought he'd practically be staking the place out…" he trailed off as everyone exchanged uncomfortable looks.

"He comes around still" Luis began. "But then he flies out of here like a bat out of Hell. I'm not sure he can handle seeing her like this and not be able to talk to her about the news, and think about what to do now…I don't know. That's just what I think."

Noah nodded in agreement. Paloma had filled him in on all the details of what happened during the reading of Theresa's will. "I guess that makes sense."

The group stayed at Theresa's bedside for most of the morning, at times in silence and at others in quiet prayer. At about 1:00, Luis stood and stretched. "Maybe we should all take a break and go get something to eat." he suggested.

"No. You all go ahead. I'll just stay here with her." Pilar was loath to leave her daughter.

Paloma pulled Pilar from her chair. "Mama, you have to take care of yourself if you're going to be here for Theresa." she tried logically. "Just come with us for an hour or so to eat, and then you can come right back."

Pilar hesitated for another moment then agreed. "I guess you're right." As they walked out of the room she added, "I was thinking of asking Father Lannigan to come and administer the Sacrament of the Sick for your sister. Maybe I'll call him while we're gone."

Watching the Lopez-Fitzgeralds leave, Spike stepped from the shadows. "I wouldn't worry about that if I were you." he said with a sneer. Taking out his cell phone, he dialed a number that was answered on the first ring. "Yeah—you got that money? It's show time."

Ethan left the office for lunch wondering why he'd even bothered to come to work that day. The morning had been a waste so far. Ever since he'd found out that Little Ethan was his son he hadn't been able to concentrate on anything. Of course Julian making his life miserable wasn't helping. Between detailing everything he was going to do to stop Theresa's plans, demanding a DNA test to prove Little Ethan wasn't his, and threatening to sue Ethan for any breech of conduct he could think of, Ethan was going crazy. Neither party trusting the other to pick a lab for the testing, they'd left it to Mr. Lawrence and had already had their blood drawn to match to Little Ethan's medical record.

But for Ethan, that was just a formality. In his heart he knew the truth. He thought back on all the similarities between them that he'd turned off as a development because he'd been so influential in Little Ethan's life from the beginning. He thought of the connection and the immediate love he'd felt the minute he was born. It hadn't mattered that he was Julian's son—or so they thought at the time. It all made sense now.

The only thing that didn't make sense was why Theresa would keep this from him. He'd never been so angry with her as he was right now, yet so hopelessly in love at the same time. It made visiting her in the hospital hard. His love for her wouldn't let him stay away, but his anger wouldn't let him stay. How could she do this to him? After all the discussions and arguments and big scenes they'd had over the years about secrets always blowing up in your face? After all the times he'd asked her if she loved him so much, why did she keep lying? Why did she do things to hurt him and break up his marriage? She always insisted she'd changed, and that she wasn't that person anymore; then just as he started to let his guard down and believe her again, she pulled something else. And here it was again. How could she keep the fact that he had a son from him? It didn't make sense!

In anger, Ethan slammed on his brakes at the stoplight, causing his briefcase to fall from the seat beside him. Looking down, Ethan saw the envelope that Mr. Lawrence had given him saying that the contents would explain everything. In his confused state the last couple of days, he had totally forgotten about it. Looking at it for a moment longer, he made a decision. The light turned green, and with resolve Ethan made a turn in the opposite direction and headed for the park. It was time to read that letter, and he only had one thought in his mind.

_Theresa, I hope you have a really good explanation for this._


	11. Chapter 11

Last time, it appeared that Spike was at the hospital to harm Theresa, and Ethan decided to read the letter Theresa left for him in her will... (Rating: PG13)

Chapter 11

Settling under one of the big trees in a quiet corner of the park, Ethan looked at the envelope. He was a little afraid of opening it, but knew he had to have answers. Why would Theresa keep such an important detail like this from him? After everything they had meant to each other, the love they'd shared? Hesitating for only a moment longer, Ethan ripped open the envelope and started to read:

_Dear Ethan,  
If you're reading this, I'm either dead or incapacitated in some way. I assume that you've already been told that we have a daughter and a son, and no…it's not a joke. Little Ethan really is your son.  
I found out by accident from JT Cornell in Rome. He told me when I was trying to convince him to tell you the truth about Gwen and Rebecca's part in your own paternity being announced in the press. You didn't believe him, remember? JT said that you didn't believe him about that, but you'd believe this and he just gave me the proof (that particular secret wasn't worth much to him at the time).  
When I first found out, I couldn't believe it either. But then I was so happy because I thought that I finally had what I needed to bring you back to me. I ran to tell you, but your friend interrupted us—Gary I think his name was. He was thanking you for your advice on how to handle a custody situation. You'd told him to sue the mother for partial custody of the baby because that's what you would do. When I heard that, I knew you were never going to come back to me; you'd always stay with Gwen. And I'd already lost too much to her. I lost you because she framed me for ruining your life (I know you don't want to believe it, but I never lied to you about that). She got you to take Jane from me by convincing you I was an unfit mother. I was not going to let her take my son too. She had already manipulated you into doing it once before. Of course I can't blame you for thinking the worst of me. I've done some pretty horrible things trying to get you back. But the bottom line is my son was the last good thing in my life. I couldn't give him up.  
I know you're really angry with me right now, and I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything I've ever done that has caused you pain and heartache, but everything I did was because I love you and had to fight for you or die. All I ever really wanted in this life was to love you, and to be loved by you, and have my happily ever after with you. Please remember that I love you with everything I have, with everything I am now and forever. Death can't take our love. It can only delay it for awhile. I will still be loving and waiting for you on the other side. Maybe we can have our happily ever after then.  
Tell our children that Mommy loves them very much, and will be watching to see how they grow up. I hope all of you find your best comfort in the memory and knowledge of my undying love.  
I love you Ethan—always.  
Theresa_

"I love you too, Theresa." Ethan whispered as one tear than another fell. "I love you too." Folding the letter back up and returning it to the envelope, Ethan thought about his and Theresa's relationship. Memory after memory flashed through his mind...her beautiful face at the alter on their wedding day; the time they went to the ballet; the beach where they first made love...the tears came faster. He thought about the time she took him in to see Jane for the first time and said, "This is our little miracle. Yours and mine..."; the time she made him have a snow ball fight in typically non Crane fashion. The fact that he was sitting on the ground under a tree, in his suit no less was something he never would've done before he met Theresa.

_How could I think anything was more important than all of that? How could I believe the people that said she betrayed me? How could I think it was better to marry the woman I was having a child with, the woman I had used to make me forget, was better than being with Theresa?_ Ethan cried to himself. _How?_

He thought about what Theresa had given him over the years. A whole new world that didn't run on responsibility and power and money, but ran on love, and family, and living life to the fullest in every little thing. She'd given him joy, she'd given him hope, and most of all she'd given him love. Real, old fashioned, fairy tale love. She loved him with her whole being and wasn't afraid to tell the world. She'd loved him with a love that made him believe anything was possible. When she said that she loved him, he felt like he could do anything. And for her he would. For her, he would…

_I know what I need to do now_, Ethan thought. _There never should've been any doubt, and I've hurt all of us by not doing it before. But I'm going to go and beg Theresa for forgiveness, and never let her go again._ The thought that he might never get the chance to make up for all the years they'd lost cut him like a knife in his heart. _Please God. Don't let her die! Bring her back to me, to us! To Little Ethan and Jane—we need her so much!_

Slowly, Ethan began to regain control and he tried to think of what needed to be done. Obviously, telling Gwen their marriage was over was the first thing. Ethan swallowed nervously at that idea. He didn't want to hurt her. _Who am I kidding_, he berated himself. _I've been hurting her everyday we've been married. She has to have some idea that this is coming._

Thinking about Gwen made Ethan think about what Theresa had said about her in her letter. Even in what was supposed to be her death, Theresa's story remained the same—Gwen was responsible for the paternity mess that started all their problems to begin with. Ethan frowned. Could it be true? Could Gwen really be behind all that? _It doesn't matter_, Ethan decided. _I have to be with Theresa, period. Gwen has nothing to do with it._

"No Mother! I have absolutely no idea what was in the will." Gwen was sitting with Jane and her mother in the shade at the park. Gwen was going crazy wondering what was going on with Ethan, and thought maybe some fresh air would help. "Are you sure you haven't found anything out from Julian?" she asked Rebecca in a frustrated tone.

"No, Honey." Rebecca took a sip of the martini she'd insisted on bringing from the limo. "I told you that I never spoke to Julian while I was gone, and came straight to visit you from the airport." Rebecca thought for a moment and asked, "Have you tried talking to Pilar? The two of you always seemed to get along well."

Gwen sighed. "Yes I tried that. But she's not stupid Mother. She knows that if I'm asking her, Ethan hasn't told me, and she's not going to tell me anything. Same goes for Luis, Miguel, Paloma, Noah, and Fancy. Nobody's talking. And you know the worst part?" Gwen continued, getting more and more worked up. "The worst part is that Theresa isn't dead! Whatever is in that will could still ruin my marriage!"

Rebecca looked worried, but tried not to show it. "Well Darling, desperate times call for desperate measures. If Theresa's not already dead…then…" she trailed off with a meaningful look at her daughter.

"_Oh No_!" Gwen was firm. "I am _not_ letting you talk me into anything else! It's bad enough that I let you convince me the only way to get Ethan from Theresa was to frame her for outing him to JT. Look how well that's turned out! We've had to pay an astronomical amount of money to keep his mouth shut, which is a waste because he's not only dead, the evidence is now floating out there for who knows who to do who knows what with. I can't stand lying to Ethan every time he tells me how perfect our marriage is and how he knows I couldn't do the horrible things Theresa is accusing me off…I couldn't live with murder on my conscience too!"

"Well you think about it." Rebecca warned. "You remember you do whatever you have to do to keep your man."

Suddenly, Jane looked past Gwen and started to laugh and clap her hands in delight. "Daddy!" she chortled happily, and Gwen and Rebecca turned quickly to see Ethan standing next to the bushes beside them.

"Ethan! I didn't know you were here!" Gwen tried to sound pleasantly surprised instead of like she was in the middle of having a heart attack. Where had Ethan come from? And how long had he been standing there?

"Oh yeah. Took a little break from the office. Decided to enjoy the fresh air." Ethan whipped Jane into his arms and tossed her into the air. "Well how is Daddy's precious little angle?" Dropping down on the ground with Jane still laughing, Ethan turned to Gwen. "What are you doing here?"

_Well, if he heard anything, he's certainly not showing it_, Gwen thought, then answered, "Oh nothing. Just enjoying the sunshine. Having some girl talk. People watching…" Gwen nudged Rebecca who was quick to agree.

"Oh yeah. Girl talk. People watching." she replied with a nervous laugh.

"Ah. People watching." Ethan settled Jane into his lap. "You know what I think is the best part of people watching?" he asked.

Gwen was puzzled. "No, actually. I don't. What?"

"Listening to conversations." The blood drained from Gwen's face as Ethan turned to look at her. His voice was pleasant, his mouth smiled, but his eyes were cold as ice, and Gwen knew her day had come. "Yes." he continued. "People do say the most interesting things when they think nobody is listening."


	12. Chapter 12

Last time Ethan read Theresa's letter and decided to leave Gwen...just before he overheard her talking to Rebecca about what they had done... (Rating: PG13 with a brief R at the end)

Chapter 12

Looking into Ethan's eyes, Gwen knew that today was her day of reckoning. Even Rebecca was trembling; she'd spilled the rest of her Martini and hadn't even noticed.

"You can just learn so much listening to people who think they're alone. It's quite amusing actually."

Ethan still spoke calmly, as pleasantly as if they were just shooting the breeze. If his eyes weren't so cold Gwen might've thought he hadn't heard her, and tried to wriggle her way out of this somehow, but it was too late for that. She decided the best thing to do was cut her losses and throw herself on his mercy. After all Ethan loved her, right? Maybe it wouldn't turn out as badly as she'd always feared.

"Ethan I can explain." she started.

"Can you?" he asked.

Gwen cleared her throat. "I really do have a very good reason…uh…uh…a perfectly logical explanation…" she stopped as her throat shut off and she couldn't speak.

Ethan raised his eyebrow impatiently. "Well? What about that explanation? I'm just dying to hear it." His voice was beginning to lose some of its congeniality, and Gwen tried a different tactic.

"Honey. You're upset. Why don't you give me the baby, and maybe we should talk about this at home." she said, reaching for Jane. Then she drew back in shock when Ethan swatted her hands away and held Jane a little tighter.

"No. It is too your benefit that I'm holding my daughter and that we're sitting in public." he said testily. "It's the only reason I have any semblance of calm. Now, I'm waiting to hear your explanation."

Rebecca jumped in at this point. "Well Ethan, really…you shouldn't blame Gwen. It was all my idea and I had to convince her…" Rebecca was cut off by Ethan's quiet anger.

"_Shut...up,_ Rebecca! I know this was _your_ idea, I'm not surprised, I don't have anything to say to you! This is between me and my wife." He turned to Gwen here. "Start talking. And you better make it good."

Knowing it was time to stop stalling, Gwen took a deep breath. "OK. OK. I was incensed that you were marrying Theresa. I was jealous that you'd leave me for the housekeeper's daughter. I was so spoiled back then, and then we figured out Theresa knew that you were Sam's son and that she had the information on her computer when we heard her confront Ivy about it, then Mother came up with this plan…" Gwen was rambling, but she couldn't help it. "And I just went along with it. I loved you too much to lose you…" she cut off at Ethan's scoff.

"You loved me? _You _loved_ me_? And what kind of love is it when you destroy someone's life and wait for the fall out, huh? You knew…you saw the pain I was going through and you just let it happen! Heck--You caused it!" Ethan stopped abruptly as Jane began to fuss, then lowering his voice he continued. "You say you love me? No you don't! Or you never would've done this to me!" Chuckling mirthlessly, Ethan continued. "You know the worst part? Not only did you cost me six years with the woman I really love—six years! You cost me six years with my son! I didn't get to spend every hour of every day with my son!" Tears of anger filled his eyes, and Gwen and Rebecca looked at him in shock.

"_Your son_?" Gwen exclaimed. Then it dawned on her. "The will. That's what was in Theresa's will. She told you that Little Ethan is your son, didn't she?" Looking into Ethan's eyes, Gwen knew the truth and felt a flash of jealousy. Of course. Theresa not only gave him two children; she truly had given him his first born. Not in Jane, but in Little Ethan. A son no less. Then a thought crossed her mind, and she thought maybe she could turn this little bit of information against Theresa.

"You know, you're angry with me for keeping one secret, but here is another in a long line that Theresa kept from you!" Gwen was pulling out all the stops. "I mean, My God Ethan! You have a son! She had to know how much that would mean to you and she kept it from you anyway! How could she?"

Ethan looked at her with disdain. "Do you know why she kept it from me? She explained it all in a letter. She said she couldn't lose anything else to you. She talked about how you'd manipulated me into taking Little Ethan from her once before, and how you convinced me to take Jane from her because she was an unfit mother…heh! How could I be so stupid!" Ethan was trying to calm himself to keep from upsetting Jane. "It's all true. You wanted to punish Theresa for the fact that I couldn't stop loving her. You wanted her to feel your pain—pain that I was causing. And I let you. I let you."

"Well, Theresa isn't innocent you know!" Gwen protested angrily. "Look at everything she's done to you over the years! She's done worse things than I've ever done…"

_"Theresa _was trying to keep me from living a lie. _Theresa_ was trying to get me to follow my heart to the truth." Ethan stood then, still holding Jane in his arms. He gathered all her things, and turned back to Gwen. " Well, I didn't get it before, but I get it now. This lie…it's over. Do you hear me? Our marriage is over!"

"Ethan! Ethan! No! You don't mean that! Ethan!" And watching Ethan leave, Gwen dropped to the ground and started to cry.

Spike stood over Theresa and shook his head. It really was a shame to waste such a beautiful face. But he had his orders. And he had to work fast. Anybody could come in at anytime.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Crane," he said as he picked up an extra pillow that was in the room. "I hate to do this, but I can't waste all that money. You have to go. Oh…on the way out, be sure to thank your good friend…Jared Casey." And with that, he held the pillow roughly over her face.


	13. Chapter 13

Last time, Ethan took Jane and left a crying Gwen in the park after declaring that their marriage was over, and Spike attempts to kill Theresa--at Jared's orders. (**Rating:R for murder plot in progress**)

Chapter 13

Theresa sighed in her soul. _More falling. Why do I always have to go down? _Every time she thought that she was finished with it, those hands pulled her back down into the dark, and the voice yelled that "this was the last time!" over and over again. Some of the fear of it had subsided, but Theresa still was frustrated that it kept happening.

Over the past few days (had it been days? Theresa really had no sense of time, between falling into the past and listening to her family talking about the present) she thought she had an idea what had happened. She must've been getting married, but ended up standing in the cemetery instead. Somehow, she'd been hurt which was why she was laying in this hospital bed (she had figured out she was in the hospital by listening to the sounds of machines, and nurses and doctors coming in and out of her room). She also figured that she must be unconscious, and her family didn't know that she could hear them. That would explain why no one had heard her screams or pleas for help. She still wasn't sure what the hands and angry voice had to do with anything, or why she was always falling. She wasn't even sure that she had the story straight in her mind.

The only thing she was sure of was her love for Ethan. If she really had been getting married, it was a good thing she hadn't gone through with it—at least she was pretty sure she hadn't. How she could've thought she could marry anyone but him was beyond her comprehension. It didn't matter that he was married. Her heart belonged to him, and that's the way it was—period. If nothing else this ordeal had shown her that. Every time she stopped falling, she was at some different place, reliving some special memory that they'd shared. He always said that he loved her and everything felt all right, even though this situation was obviously all wrong. She just felt so safe in his arms—even in the terrifying confines that her mind had become.

_Wait a minute. What's going on? _Theresa felt her decent slowing, and instead of tumbling, she was floating in the dark. Slowly, the darkness turned to light and she could see. _This is my room at the mansion. _As Theresa looked on, she saw herself standing with her arms crossed, Ethan rubbing her shoulders.

_"Please Theresa. Don't marry him. I can't let you marry him." _

_Marry who? _Theresa asked in frustration, and watched the scene unfold as Ethan continued.

_"He doesn't deserve you. Please don't marry him."  
"Why?" Theresa saw herself facing him now. "Why can't I marry him, Ethan?"  
Pausing for only a second Ethan spoke as he leaned in for a kiss, "Because I love you. I love you….I love you…I love you…" _

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Hearing the monitors, Theresa realized she was back in her hospital room. But wait, something was different. _The hands! That voice! They didn't come to get me this time! _As Theresa lay pondering what that could mean, she sensed a shadow over the bed.

"It really is a shame to waste such a beautiful face." The man's voice was vaguely familiar, but Theresa couldn't place it. "But I have my orders." it continued.

_Who's is that voice? And what orders is he talking about? _Theresa wondered as she began to panic. _Wait a minute! I think that's Spike! What's he doing here?_

The voice continued, and Theresa heard his shirt move as he raised his arms maybe? "I can't waste all that money, so you have to go. Sorry Mrs. Crane. Oh, on the way out be sure to thank your good friend…Jared Casey." And Theresa felt a pillow being held roughly over her face.

_Jared Casey! _Suddenly everything became clear for Theresa. She was supposed to marry Jared! But she'd left him at the altar and ran to the cemetery, where eventually he'd come to talk to her. They'd argued, then he grabbed her by the shoulders, yelled at her that this was the last time she'd make a fool of him, and pushed her to the ground. She'd hit her head and woken up in the hospital…Jared had put her here! And now Spike said he'd been hired by Jared to kill her!

"No!" Theresa screamed. She tried to fight, but couldn't find the strength. "Help!" Theresa screamed again, but the pillow muffled the sound. Just as she thought she was really breathing her last breaths, she heard it: _"I love you Theresa. I love you…I love you…"_

"Ethan! Help me!" Theresa screamed.

_"I love you…I love you…I love you Theresa." _

Memories of Ethan flashed through her mind; memories of the family they had—Little Ethan and Jane; memories of every scene she'd seen while she had been unconscious; every time Ethan had said he loved her…

_"I love you…I love you…I love you…"_

"No! I will not leave them! I won't!" And listening to Ethan's voice, she began to fight in earnest.

"Stop moving around!" Spike growled as he struggled to hold a kicking Theresa. Kicking her legs under the covers, Theresa finally got her arms free and started swinging. "Ahhh…stop…fighting…" Spike was losing control, and Theresa fought harder.

BeepBeepBeepBeepBeepBEEEEPPPPP! Theresa's heart monitor began to alarm loudly.

"Oh no!" Theresa heard Spike say. "I got to get out of here!" and dropping the pillow, tried to make a run for it.

As the pillow fell away from her face, Theresa took a gasping breath and bolted upright. Doing the first thing she could think of, she grabbed a metal bowl that had been left on the bedside table and swung it as hard as she could at a fleeing Spike, miraculously connecting with the side of his head, and he fell to the ground.

Just then, Eve and a whole team of nurses and ICU staff burst into the room. "What is going on here?" she exclaimed as she saw Theresa sitting straight up in the bed and Spike lying on the floor.

"He tried to kill me!" Theresa was practically hysterical. "He tried to kill me! And he said that Jared Casey hired him to do it!"

Later that evening, Theresa sat back in the bed and looked around her very full hospital room. Her whole family was there of course—including Little Ethan, along with Chad and Whitney, Fancy, and Noah.

And Ethan. Ethan was there with their daughter. Tears filled her eyes.

Pilar, noticing her daughter's tears, was quick to be by her side. "What's the matter Mija? Are you in pain? Do you need something?" she asked worriedly.

"No Mama." Theresa said as she looked around again. "I have everything I need right here."


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: Again--I'm not a lawyer, I just mimic what I see on Law and Order , so please excuse anything that is not true to form. Last time, Spike tried unsuccessfully to murder Theresa (as ordered by Jared), and Theresa was enjoying that all of her family was at her bedside... (Rating: PG13)

Chapter 14

"Theresa, you don't have to do this." Ethan said as they entered the Harmony Police Station. It had been three days since Theresa had regained consciousness, and she had been released from the hospital just that morning. He really wanted her to take it easy. "Maybe you should let me take care of this, and I'll have the driver take you back to the mansion so you can get some rest. Especially since Little Ethan's birthday party is tonight."

"No." Theresa was adamant. "I am going to face Jared. I _have_ to face Jared. Like a coward he hired Spike to do his dirty work, but he's going to face me this time." True to his word, Spike had flipped Jared the minute he was taken into custody. Then using the ruse of getting the rest of his payment for Theresa's murder, the police had been able to set Jared up for capture. Now, Theresa was here to confront him.

"OK." Ethan agreed, "but maybe we should postpone Little Ethan's party. I hate to do that do him…"

"Then we won't." again, Theresa's voice was firm as she cut him off. "He's been through enough the last few days. I'm not going to take his birthday from him too. I can rest up later."

Ethan looked down at Theresa, debating whether to argue with her or not. Now that he had her back— or at least he was hoping to move in that direction—he wasn't about to do anything to put her health in jeopardy. But on the other hand, looking into her eyes he remembered how he'd fallen for her in the first place, and couldn't find it in his heart to deny her anything. Thinking that if things worked out like he was hoping, he was going to be in a lot of trouble because of those eyes, he smiled. "OK. Just promise me you'll take it easy tonight. Let everyone else do the work. Be a Crane for once."

"I think I can do that." Theresa laughed as Sam walked up to them.

"Theresa! Good to see you up and about." Sam said with a hug before he turned to Ethan. "We have the paperwork on the plea agreement you made with Spike. As prosecuting attorney, we just need your signature to make it official. We knew you were coming from the hospital, so we had it sent over from the courthouse to save you the trip." he clarified at Ethan's puzzled look.

"Thanks! It's a nice perk having my dad as the Chief of Police." Ethan remarked as he stepped over to Sam's desk to sign the papers. He'd hated to make a deal with Spike, but along with his information on how to get Jared, Spike had turned over JT Cornell's flash drive. How Spike had come into possession of it and if he'd actually killed JT was still being investigated, but the information on that drive was going to prove invaluable in obtaining evidence in more crimes committed by some big names.

Plus they now knew the whole story on Jared. Ethan cringed just thinking about it. Jared Casey was really Brandon Winslow from Greenwich, Connecticut. He was a lawyer, yes, but he used his law degree as a front for his main game— traveling the coast and murdering rich single women for their money. Somehow, he managed to get himself put on retainer for them, woo them with his charm, and eventually get them to marry him and name him sole beneficiary of their estate in their wills. During this time, he'd find and make nice with the local bottom feeders (people like Spike) and just wait for the right time to have them carry out his plan. He also managed to stay under the radar by using a new alias each time. Jared had become a very rich man doing this, and it appeared that Theresa had been his next victim.

Handing over the completed papers, Ethan and Theresa turned to see Luis coming from the interrogation room. "The prisoner is ready." he informed them blandly. It irked him to no end that this guy actually got a day in court. He had tried to kill his little sister for Pete's sake! But it helped a little knowing that Ethan was going to be the prosecuting attorney against Jared as well. If anyone wanted Jared to pay for his crime more than he did it was Ethan. Turning to Theresa he added, "Sis? I really think you should let Ethan handle this and go home and get some sleep. You're trying to do too much considering you just got out of the hospital…" he cut off as Theresa began to shake her head.

"Save your breath." Ethan said wryly. "I've already tried and she's determined."

"Yes I am, so let's just get this over with." Theresa remarked, and Luis led the way.

Walking into the room first, Ethan was the first person Jared saw, and he snorted in disgust. "Ethan. I should've known." Then his face turned pale as he watched Theresa follow Ethan in. "Tess!"

"My name is _Theresa_. And I will thank you to never let it cross your lips ever again!" Even with her diminutive stature and frail frame after her hospital stay, Theresa cut an imposing figure. Her demeanor was every inch one of a woman who ran the world's largest company and Ethan knew he was glad he wasn't on the other side of the table. He also had never been more proud of her.

"I didn't know you'd be coming." Jared was obviously at a loss for words.

Theresa stance remained cold. "I guess you wouldn't. You tried to kill me after all." Here she paused, and a little crack in her armor began to show through. "I can't believe that I trusted you. I trusted you with my life, with the lives of my children…you. A heartless monster!"

"Tess—Theresa—I mean, it wasn't like that!" Jared stammered and leaned across the table to touch Theresa's hand, which she quickly pulled away.

"Don't touch me! And why should I believe you?" Theresa's voice was no longer vulnerable, but angry.

Jared's face wasn't one of a cold-blooded killer as he tried to explain which surprised Ethan. Either he was being sincere, or he deserved an Oscar for this performance. Too bad for Jared it didn't really matter. "Those other women…I didn't love them. But I fell in love with you! I really did! I never would've hurt you or your children. You have to believe that." he said desperately.

"Jared, stop talking." the defense attorney advised.

Theresa's voice took on a slightly sarcastic tone. "See, I might have, but then you had to go and try to get me killed. So yeah, all those pretty words mean nothing to me. Besides, do you think I could've stayed with you after I found out? Because secrets always come out, Jared. I should know."

"What can you offer us?" Jared's attorney asked at that point, and Ethan had to resist the urge to laugh in his face.

"Not a thing. If you think I'm pleaing this out you can just forget it." he told the lawyer in no uncertain terms. "What are these?" he asked as papers were passed across the table to him.

Closing his briefcase, Jared's attorney stood as he spoke. "I had a feeling that you'd say that, so one set is notice of our intent to enter a plea of "Not Guilty by reason of mental disease or defect."

"Are you kidding me?" Ethan asked in disbelief. "You just heard him say that he killed those women because he didn't love them, and he never would've hurt Theresa because he _did_ love her!"

The attorney smiled. "That's exactly my point. Does that sound like a sane person to you? "The other set" he continued, "is my motion requesting that you recuse yourself as prosecuting attorney from this case, on the grounds that your personal vendetta will prevent my client from getting a fair and reasonable trial."

"The vendetta is mine." the Crane CEO was back in full form, and Theresa continued. "Everything Ethan does in this case will be at my discretion and approval, so there is no reason for him to recuse himself. Considering Ethan's reputation as a fair and just man, and the fact that has gone into court _against_ me several times over the years, I'm sure the judge will not have a problem with him representing me now. I believe we're done here and we'll see you in court." she finished, and she and Ethan rose to leave.

Jared stood with them. "Wait, Tes…Ther…Mrs. Crane. Doesn't what we had count for anything? Please.." he trailed off with pleading eyes.

Theresa faced Jared one last time with arms folded. "What we had was a lie, so it counts for nothing, Jared or Brandon or whatever your name is! You don't deserve it, but I have shown you a little mercy. Every day for the rest of your life while you're rotting away in prison, be thankful that I didn't make them extradite you back to Connecticut where they undoubtedly would've put a needle in your arm." Then she turned, took Ethan's hand and left Jared Casey in her past for good.


	15. Chapter 15

This chapter is a little long, so I apologize. I've been concentrating so much on ET and kind of leaving some things for you all to assume since we all know the original story. So, this chapter is a little bit about clearing up or confirming or whatever some of the other storylines that might be effected by ET and what's happened so far. I hope you like...(Rating: PG13)

Chapter 15

Theresa reclined on the chaise with Jane in her lap and looked around. Little Ethan's birthday party was in full swing. The back patio on the Crane estate looked more like the grounds of an exclusive country club than a typical back yard party, and everyone seemed to be having a good time. Luis was there with Fancy, Paloma with Noah and Pilar of course. Miguel had brought his little Maria, and Kay had even come with them. They made a pretty good team working together with their daughter and Theresa thought she just might have to keep an eye on that pair in the future. And of course Whitney and Chad were there with their son Miles.

Sam was there with Jessica, who looked like she had added about 10 years to her life now that she wasn't bound to Spike anymore. Theresa hoped that they would all find out what the deal with that marriage had been. It had happened so unexpectedly when they'd all come back from their Roman adventures a year before and nobody had understood it. Either way, Theresa was glad that she at least looked like she was on the upswing again, and said a quick prayer for Jessica in her heart.

Julian was out, probably drowning his sorrows in brandy at some club or bar in town, which was just fine with everyone else. The DNA tests had come back with confirmation of Ethan's paternity of Little Ethan, and Julian had washed his hands of the child, leaving him with absolutely no desire to be around for his birthday party. Besides, he was still bitter over Theresa's will and would've been a real killjoy.

Ivy also was not in attendance, but Theresa had no idea where she was. In a surprise visit to the hospital, Ivy had confessed and apologized for her part in Ethan and Theresa's troubles after hearing about how Gwen and Rebecca duped them all. Theresa, deciding to bury the hatchet, had invited her to the party thinking that Ivy and Sam could put aside the rumored problems of their newfound relationship for the sake of their grandson. But apparently the problems were bigger than anyone knew, and Ivy thought it best if she not antagonize Sam. She'd have a private time with Little Ethan after Ethan and Theresa had sat him down and told him that he was Ethan's son.

Jane was rocking back and forth in Theresa's lap as she happily chanted, "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!" and Theresa tried not to cry. She had Ethan to thank for this. Apparently all the time Jane had been living with Gwen and Ethan, and Gwen was throwing it in her face that Jane was "her" daughter now, Ethan had been diligent in making sure Jane knew and recognized who her real mother was. Aside from both of their kids, Theresa didn't think there was a more precious gift he could've given her than that.

She turned to look at Ethan sitting beside her, and her heart warmed even as she wondered what was around the bend for them. Of course the first thing he had told her when she regained consciousness was that he and Gwen were getting divorced, and only partly because of the fact that she'd been lying all these years. He said he'd decided to divorce her before that because he loved Theresa too much, and her heart had soared. Pilar had walked in with Little Ethan at that point, and the conversation had to be cut short. Over the past couple of days, they hadn't had time to talk about "them", but had agreed that he and Jane would be moving back into the mansion; Jane to the nursery and Ethan back to his old rooms for now. When they told Little Ethan about the new living arrangements, he'd only briefly wondered if Gwen was moving in too. But when Ethan told him that he and Gwen were going to get divorced, he seemed to take it at face value, and got on with the business of loving the fact that Uncle Ethan was going to be around all the time again. They hadn't had time to tell him that "Uncle Ethan" wasn't appropriate anymore, and neither Ethan nor Theresa could wait to tell him.

"Wow!" Little Ethan's excited cry brought Theresa back to the party. He was opening his gifts, and had just opened another. "Lazer Tag! Thanks Fancy! This is way cool!" and everyone laughed. It seemed like "Way cool" was Little Ethan's new phrase, and they'd been hearing it all evening. Still laughing, Ethan turned to Theresa.

" 'Way cool'? When did he start that?" Ethan was quickly learning how much he'd missed of his son's life, even though he was the only father figure the boy had known.

"Uh, I don't know!" Theresa said with a laugh of her own. "Just today I think." And she smiled again as she heard another "way cool!" over yet another gift.

"Thanks everybody!" Little Ethan gushed. "I love all my presents. Hey Uncle Ethan, do you think we can play Lazer Tag with everyone before they go?"

The mood of the party changed to slightly tense as everyone heard Little Ethan refer to Ethan as "Uncle". Looking at each other, Ethan and Theresa knew that they had to put a stop to this. It wasn't exactly the time they had planned, but they figured that there was no time like the present. "Uh, sure buddy." Ethan said as he pulled Little Ethan into his lap. "But we need to talk about something first."

"What?" Little Ethan was puzzled, especially as he looked around at everyone wiping tears from their eyes.

Theresa took Little Ethan's hand and continued. "Sweetie? You know how you've always thought Julian was your dad?" She swallowed hard at he son's nod and continued. "Well, we found out recently that there might have been a mistake and Julian might not be your father." Little Ethan's confused look cut Theresa for just a minute before she finished. "We took some tests…Julian went to the doctor…and they found out that he isn't your dad after all."

Little Ethan really looked confused now, and also a little scared. "What do you mean? If Julian isn't my dad, who is?" he asked in a tiny voice.

Ethan was choked up and had to clear his throat. "I am. I'm your father."

"What?" Little Ethan was really confused. He looked around and saw his family smiling and wiping tears from their eyes, then he looked at Theresa and Ethan who were smiling and crying too. "Is it true? Are you really my daddy?" he asked Ethan.

"Yeah Buddy." Ethan sniffed. "I am."

Mommy! Did you hear that? Uncle Ethan is my daddy!" Little Ethan's eyes were sparkling, and his smile stretched off his face.

"Yeah Baby, I heard." Theresa answered with tears in her eyes. "Pretty cool, huh?"

Little Ethan threw his arms around Ethan's neck. "Yeah! Way cool!"

Later that night, Ethan finished reading Little Ethan another bedtime story, and then moved to tuck him in. "OK. That's it for the night."

"Awww…Uncle…Dad! Can you read some more, please?" Aside from a few times, Little Ethan was doing a good job remembering his and Ethan's new relationship, and Ethan was finding he couldn't get enough of hearing his son call him Dad.

_My son. **My** Son!_ Looking at Little Ethan, he had to take himself firmly in hand and stick to calling it a night. "Not tonight buddy. I've already read you three." he laughed. "It's been a big day with your birthday party, and all that Lazer Tag." Little Ethan laughed as he new dad tickled him. "And your mom came home from the hospital today. She looked pretty tired earlier. I want to go tuck her in."

Little Ethan got quiet at the mention of his mom. "I was really scared when Mom was in the hospital. I didn't want to say anything but I was." It broke Ethan's heart to see a tear roll down his son's cheek, and he pulled him into his arms.

"It's OK. I was scared too." he said.

"You were?" Little Ethan looked up at him with a sniff.

Ethan kissed Little Ethan on the head. "Yeah Buddy. I was. That's why I want to take care of her now, you know? Make sure she has everything she needs to get better."

Little Ethan gave Ethan on last squeeze and said, "Go check on Mom now, OK? I can go to sleep by myself."

"OK." Ethan said, tucking him in again with one last kiss on the head. "Good night."

"Good night, Dad." Little Ethan answered as the lights went out.

In the dark, Ethan put his hand over his heart. Oh what he had missed. _That's OK. We have everyday for the rest of our lives_, he resolved, and went to go check on Theresa.


	16. Chapter 16

Last time, Little Ethan found out that Ethan was his father. Ethan had just tucked him into bed and gone to check on Theresa... (Rating PG13)

Chapter 16

Ethan knocked on Theresa's door and waited for her to answer. He wasn't sure why he was having a sudden attack of nerves. _It's not like I've never been in here before_, he thought with a slight chuckle. Hearing Theresa call to come in, Ethan took a deep breath and opened the door. He found her to be ready for bed, propped up with lots of pillows against the headboard looking quite comfortable actually.

"Oh. I see you're already settled in for the night." He stood nervously with his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah." Theresa's voice was warm and open. Just like old times. "Mary Ann helped me."

"OK. Well, I just put Little Ethan to bed and Jane is asleep already, so I'm going to turn in myself…if you don't need anything." Ethan said. He hoped he didn't seem as nervous as he felt. That would just get things off to an awkward start.

Theresa looked at Ethan, realizing immediately that he was nervous about this whole new development between them, and wondered what she could do to put him at ease. "Come sit and talk to Me." she said after a pause, patting the open space next to her on the bed. Ethan walked into the room and settled on top of the covers against the headboard as well, and Theresa continued. "We really haven't had that much time to talk about stuff the last couple of days. I think we should do it now."

Suddenly, Ethan's nervousness melted away and he made himself a little more comfortable. "OK. Where do we start?"

"Jared." Theresa said immediately. "What are you thinking about this case?"

"Life without parole sounds reasonable to me. I think we could easily get that." Ethan said. They discussed a few more details of the case, and then Theresa sighed and looked at Ethan.

"I can't believe you were right about him all along. All the things I'd imagined that you might find out about him, I never imagined anything that horrible." She shook her head and continued. "When I think that I almost let that monster into my kid's lives… I'm sorry I didn't believe you, Ethan."

"It's OK." Ethan said. "I hadn't really given you a reason to trust me. It's my fault you even looked twice at him, and I'm sorry."

"You're right. It was all your fault." Theresa replied with a sparkle in her eye.

Ethan pushed her lightly against her shoulder. "Hey! You didn't have to agree so fast!" he laughed. "When I think of how close I came to losing you…" The mood between them was no longer playful. It was time to get down to the serious stuff.

"Is that when you decided you loved me and that you were going to leave Gwen?" Theresa was anxious to know how it all had happened.

"I didn't decide that right away." Ethan began. "I decided that after I read your letter to me you left with the will. I couldn't believe that it had come down to you not knowing if I loved you enough, you know? You really didn't trust me to guard your heart. And that broke mine." he finished.

Theresa picked up Ethan's hand. "I might not have been sure when I wrote that letter, but I certainly was sure of it everyday while I was unconscious."

Ethan frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"

"Well, short version…" Theresa began, "I found myself reliving every treasured memory we'd shared. My senior prom, that night on the beach. I relived them all. And the common thread between them was that you were holding me and telling me that you loved me, and everything was all right, and I felt so safe. Even when I wasn't really sure what was all going on.  
"Ultimately, it was hearing you say that you loved me that gave me the strength to fight Spike when he tried to kill me. I just listened to you say it over and over again." Tears formed in Theresa's eyes and Ethan put his arms around her.

"Shhh. I'm so sorry you had to go through that." Ethan rubbed her back until she was calm again. "I did spend a lot of time at your bedside thinking about how much I loved you. I'm glad you felt it."

"So are you going to tell me how you found out about Gwen?" This was the part Theresa really wanted to know about.

Ethan chuckled. "She hung herself. I had just finished reading your letter while sitting in the park. As I was leaving, I saw Gwen and Rebecca sitting there talking. So I walked over and just listened until Jane saw me and gave me away. Gwen's face said it all after that."

Theresa laughed. "That's my girl!" Then she continued ruefully, "All that time. I traveled the world. I risked life and limb. I paid people off, came up with elaborate scheme after scheme, and all I had to do was lure you into the park?" And even Ethan had to laugh at how simply it had happened after all of Theresa's efforts.

"Yeah. I'm sorry I didn't believe you about Gwen before. All the time we wasted." Ethan shook his head. "Well I guess we can start fresh now?" Ethan stated it as a question. He wasn't taking anything for granted.

Theresa looked up at him slyly. "A fresh start? You mean like getting married, and raising our family together, and running Crane together, having more kids together, you know? The life we'd planned before it hit the fan?"

Ethan smiled. "Oh yeah. That's exactly what I mean. And we're going to fight—because heaven knows we're going to do that. And we're going to make up, because we know were going to do a lot of that too!"

Theresa yawned. "Hmmm. I'm looking forward to it."

"I can tell." Ethan teased. Then he got serious again. "I mean it Theresa. We're going to get married. And we're going to get it right this time. And I swear that I will spend everyday for the rest of my life making the last six years up to you."

"You won't have to do much." Theresa said, kissing him on the jaw. She snuggled deeper into his embrace, her eyes closing as sleep came to claim her. "Just tell me that you love me."


	17. Chapter 17

OK. Last time, Ethan and Theresa talked and decided that they would be getting married…and boy a'int it time? (Rating:PG13)

Chapter 17

Theresa stood in her bedroom, looked out at the beautiful April morning and couldn't resist a smile. She could hear the bird's chirping, sounding unusually happy. The spring flowers seemed especially plentiful and vibrant in color. Looking into the sky, Theresa thought it was as blue as if it were colored by child's crayon, without a cloud in site. And the sun…well, it was shining with all its might, as if to say, "Nothing can go wrong for you today." Closing her eyes, and letting the sun warm her soul Theresa smiled again. Even all of nature was happy for her today. Because today was the day she'd been waiting for practically all her life. Today was the day she became Mrs. Ethan Winthrop.

_Mrs. Ethan Winthrop. Theresa Winthrop_.

She couldn't get over how good that sounded. It had been 10 months since Ethan and Gwen broke up and since Jared and Theresa's failed wedding. Ethan and Theresa had spent that time wisely. They had gone to therapy and had gotten some much-needed insight into the workings of their relationship. Ethan had learned that losing his whole identity just when he thought he had the world on its ear had made him afraid of being too happy. It had become his way of protecting himself from more hurt, but now it was time to let Theresa help him live without fear. Theresa had learned that while a belief in fate and destiny and the "meant to be" was right and proper, she couldn't let it rule her actions, and that she needed to be practical at times too. Who better to teach her than Ethan? They'd also spent time with Father Lannigan growing in their faith, and he had told them that nothing would give him greater pleasure than marrying a couple that should've been married but kept apart, and that was this serious about making sure it worked this time.

Crane Industries was thriving under their leadership. Little Ethan and Jane had bonded well, and were thriving having both parents with them all the time. For once everything was in sync for them to be married, so they had decided that now was the time. Some people thought that two weddings in less than a year was just too much and that Theresa would be portrayed in the media (again as the widow of the infamous Alistair Crane) in an unflattering light. But Ethan and Theresa, along with half the town of Harmony, knew that this wedding was long overdue, and said "It's about time! Let's get this show on the road!"

Turning from the window, Theresa couldn't keep the smile off her face. The joy in her heart was threatening to burst from her chest. _OK. Do I dare feel this happy_, she wondered. "Is there really nothing hanging over our heads this time?" She waited holding her breath…and felt nothing but peace. Laughing out loud, she opened her arms wide and flopped back on the bed. This was it! She really was going to become Ethan's wife!

Ethan stood with Father Lannigan and Chad in the gazebo on the Crane Estate and his heart began to pound. Looking out over the family and friends that had gathered on the lawn, he couldn't believe that he was standing there getting ready to become Theresa's husband. After all these years, it just didn't seem possible that the dream he had tried to keep buried in his heart was about to come true, but it was!

Ethan thought a more perfect setting couldn't have been set. It had been mentioned to Theresa several times that this wasn't the wedding she had always said she'd have, but she had been adamant. She wanted everything elegant and simple, and all about the two of them and their families. "Nothing else matters." she'd said, and Ethan couldn't agree more.

"Hey man" Chad nudged Ethan in the arm with a knowing look. "Pay attention. We're getting started."

Looking up, Ethan saw that Noah and Paloma were already half way down the red runner serving as the aisle, and took a deep breath. Whitney as Maid of Honor followed next. Reaching the front, she gave Ethan an excited smile. He smiled back then turned back to the end of the aisle to wait for Theresa.

Then suddenly she was there and Ethan felt the breath leave his lungs. She was beautiful as always, but even more so. She was wearing a long sleeve, full length Ivory gown of silk with a sweep train. The deep V-neck was trimmed in crystal beadwork, and other than the teardrop diamond earrings he had given her, served as her only ornament. The dress fit her to a tee, and was sexy and elegant at the same time. Her hair was swept up with a few tendrils falling around her face, which was radiant.

When he was able to catch his breath again, Ethan smiled at his children coming down the aisle with their mother. Little Ethan looked like such a little man, and so proud to be walking his mom down the aisle. And Jane looked like an angel in her mom's arms in lieu of a traditional bouquet of flowers. Theresa had been also been adamant about wanting to include them in the ceremony in a special way, and Ethan thought the effect was perfect. Reaching the front, Theresa handed Little Ethan and Jane off to Pilar, and then joined Ethan in the gazebo.

As the ceremony took place, all around there were tears and smiles. The love that Ethan and Theresa shared was just pouring out for everyone to see, and you couldn't help but feel it in your soul. A cheer and round of applause rang out as Father Lannigan pronounced them man and wife, and everyone felt that they would be hard put to find a happier couple than Ethan and Theresa Winthrop in all the world.

_"And now for the first time in public, let's welcome to the dance floor Mr. and Mrs. Ethan Winthrop!"_ the DJ announced.

Amid the cheers and applause, Ethan offered his hand to Theresa. "Shall we, Mrs. Winthrop?" he asked, and she smiled her agreement.

"We shall Mr. Winthrop." and they took the floor.

Listening to the opening bars of _"When You Tell Me that You Love Me"_ they smiled, both thinking of the first time they'd danced to that song and what it had come to mean to them since. Moving closer in each other's arms, Theresa looked up into her handsome husband's eyes, and started to sing along softly for his ears alone:

_I wanna call the stars  
Down from the sky  
I wanna live a day  
That never dies  
I wanna change the world  
Only for you  
All the impossible  
I wanna do_

_I wanna hold you close  
Under the rain  
I wanna kiss your smile  
And feel the pain  
I know what's beautiful  
Looking at you  
In a world of lies  
You are the truth_

_And baby  
Everytime you touch me  
I become a hero  
I'll make you safe  
No matter where you are  
And bring you  
Everything you ask for  
Nothing is above me  
I'm shining like a candle in the dark  
When you tell me that you love me_

_I wanna make you see  
Just what I was  
Show you the loneliness  
And what it does  
You walked into my life  
To stop my tears  
Everything's easy now  
I have you here_

_And baby  
Everytime you touch me  
I become a hero  
I'll make you safe  
No matter where you are  
And bring you  
Everything you ask for  
Nothing is above me  
I'm shining like a candle in the dark  
When you tell me that you love me_

_In a world without you  
I would always hunger  
All I need is your love to make me stronger_

_And baby  
Everytime you touch me  
I become a hero  
I'll make you safe  
No matter where you are  
And bring you  
Everything you ask for  
Nothing is above me  
I'm shining like a candle in the dark  
When you tell me that you love me_

_You love me  
When you tell me that you love me  
(song by Julio Iglesias and CoCo Lee)_

As the song ended, Ethan leaned closer and whispered, "I love you Theresa" just before he kissed her.

_It doesn't matter that this wasn't the wedding of my fantasies_, Theresa thought. _It's the wedding of my dreams._ And she kissed Ethan back as the crowd cheered again.

_Featured Song: _"When You Tell Me That You Love Me"--Julio Iglesias and CoCo Lee; copyright:1991 Albert Hammond/John Bettis Music; Album: My Life--Greatest Hits; Sony Music 1998


	18. Epilogue

Sorry this took so long--I've been without Internet for the past couple days and haven't been able to post. Anyway, here's a sneak peek into Ethan and Theresa's married life...I hope you enjoy! (Rating: PG13)

Epilogue

2 Years Later

"OK, Jane. You can do it honey. Just concentrate on hitting the ball."

The Winthrops along with Uncle Noah and Aunt Paloma were at the baseball diamond gearing up for the upcoming baseball season. Noah and Ethan were both coaching this year and were getting the kids in shape.

"Yeah Jane!" Little Ethan encouraged. "You can do it."

Theresa smiled proudly at Little Ethan from her seat beside Paloma in the bleachers. He was such a good big brother. Of course at almost 9 years old, he wasn't so little and didn't even go by his old name anymore. Ethan's special name for him was Buddy, which somewhere along the way had gotten shortened to Bud, and it had just seemed to stick. The only one to call him Little Ethan at all was Theresa. And then only when she was feeling especially motherly and nostalgic.

Jane was very grown up at the age of 5, absolutely adored her older brother, and was determined to try to do everything he did. True to form, when Little Ethan signed up for Little League, Jane had begged to play also, so her parents had signed her up for Tee-Ball for the first time. In fact, this was one of her first times out on the field and she was practicing with a whiffle bat and ball under her father's watchful eye and instruction as he stood behind her at the plate.

"Good! Just like that! Now swing." Jane was a study in concentration, and with her little tongue sticking out slightly, she swung the bat with all her might.

THWACK!  
"Owww!"  
_Hahahahahahaha!_  
"I hit it Daddy! I hit it!" Jane jumped around in excitement.

Oh Jane had it the ball all right (and pretty well too), but she'd also managed to hit Ethan in the shins with the bat in the process. Everyone was laughing as he hopped around in exaggerated pain.

"What kind of family is this?" he exclaimed in mock anger. "I could be seriously hurt here, and y'all just standing around laughing!"

Trying to hide her face, Theresa held 15 month old Lily a little closer. Looking down into her face, Lily grinned back at her, showing off her new teeth. "Even you think it's funny, don't you my precious?"

Theresa cradled her baby girl and thought back on when she was born. Looking at her through the nursery window, Ethan and Theresa had thought she was the most beautiful baby there. Of course the couple standing next to them admiring their own child had to disagree, but what did they know?...

_"She needs a very special name." Theresa murmured from Ethan's arms, who agreed without hesitation.  
"I was thinking about that. Remember that one time when Gwen and I were still married, you showed up at the garage I was working at…in nothing but a trench coat?"  
"Shh!" Theresa giggled with a smack against his arm. "Ethan!" The other couple was looking at them in shock.  
Laughing as well, Ethan lowered his voice. "Well, something you said that day has always stuck with me. You said that our love was like a flower. That it needed sun and water, and careful tending or it would just shrivel up and die. Well, look at us. We're here, together, tending to that precious flower. We've been give a second chance."  
"Only by the grace of God" Theresa had answered sheepishly. "Because between all Gwen's deception and my failed scheming, He was the only one that could do it."_

So they had named her Lily Grace, roughly meaning "pure flower of grace". Giving Lily another hug, Theresa saw Noah and Little Ethan running in from the outfield, both of them still laughing, and Ethan promptly pounced on his son and wrestled him to the ground.

"And you…I can't believe you're laughing at me too! We're outnumbered," Ethan said pointing at his three favorite girls in the whole world. "The two of us have to stick together."

Still laughing along with the rest of them, Paloma turned to her big sister and tried to be stern. "You know Theresa, it is very poor form to laugh at your husband when he is hurting. In fact, I think as a good wife you should kiss it and make it better." Ethan turned to Theresa also, trying to look pitiful.

"For that?" It was Theresa's turn to tease. "That's not even a scratch! Walk it off! Get back in the game!"

"Oh well thanks Darling. I love you too." Ethan said with a wink in the midst of more laughter. The playful tone in his voice was for everyone, but the wink was just for her, and Theresa winked back.

"Well you heard the woman! Let's play ball!" Noah yelled.

As everyone returned to their practice, Theresa took a minute to remember her husband's words… _"I love you too"._

There it was. That fluttery little feeling she'd been getting ever since she was a teen. And Theresa knew no matter how many times he said it she would melt every time.

The End


End file.
